Serie A legends Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi Swap Jerseys with New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad

In a thrilling crossover event, Italian soccer legends Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi attended the New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders NHL game at Madison Square Garden on March 4. The Italian legends first enjoyed the Rangers' 4-0 victory before meeting the New York Rangers star center Mika Zibanejad to swap jerseys. The two Serie A superstars handed over their Juventus (Pirlo) and Internazionale (Materazzi) jerseys while Zibanejad handed over one of his.

“It was a fantastic experience to witness the intensity and passion of an NHL rivalry game,” said Pirlo. “The energy at Madison Square Garden was intense, and I really enjoyed seeing how the intricacies of the game unfolded up close. And of course, it was a pleasure to meet Mika to discuss his experiences at the top level of hockey.”

The two Serie A legends weren’t the only ones who met a member of the NHL as Serie A President Ezio Maria Simonelli met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Simonelli gushed about the NHL in an interview and praised the league’s growth and admitted that the two sports have a lot in common.

“It was a great pleasure to meet Gary Bettman and exchange views on the dynamics of our respective leagues,” said Simonelli. “The NHL represents a model of excellence in the global sports landscape, and sharing growth strategies and common visions was extremely stimulating.

“Football and ice hockey have many differences, but also several points in common, starting with the passion of the fans and the ways we can use technology to enhance their experience in the stadium. This meeting was a valuable opportunity to witness firsthand the engagement of fans in the arena—spectators play a central role both here, and in our league. We can draw from these experiences to make sporting events even more engaging and look to the future with a spirit of innovation.”

The Serie A continues to be one of Europe’s top leagues and one of the few with three teams currently competing for the league title. Going into Matchweek 28, Internazionale have only a one-point lead over second-place Napoli who sit only two points above third-place Atalanta BC. Andrea Pirlo’s former side Juventus are also in the running but sit a distant fourth place and are six points behind the league leaders Internazionale.