Revealed: Zinedine Zidane never saw Marco Materazzi again following infamous 2006 World Cup final headbutt - as former Italy defender explains comments about France legend’s sister

Former Italy defender Materazzi was involved in a heated altercation with Zidane, which culminated in the French star headbutting him and subsequently receiving a red card. Following the incident, Italy went on to claim victory in the final after edging a penalty shootout, with the match finishing 1-1 after extra time. In an interview with The Times, Materazzi expressed his regret and insisted that he does not want the incident to remain the most distinctive moment of his otherwise glittering football career.

"I don’t like it, because it doesn’t do justice to what my career was," he said.

"That episode should never have happened. In the tension of that final in Berlin, amidst the bickering and insults, Zidane offered me his shirt, and I said no, that I preferred his sister. Then he turned around and reacted as everyone remembers. I never saw Zinedine again."

Materazzi also reflected on his time at Inter Milan, particularly under the management of Jose Mourinho, who guided the club to the treble in 2009-10. He praised Mourinho as the best manager he ever worked with, despite initial challenges adjusting to a reduced role in the team.

"He was, without a doubt [the best manager I ever had]," Materazzi said.

"And despite everything, it wasn’t easy to accept my initial situation. I was used to being important, to being the captain, but with Mourinho, I started to lose prominence. However, he was honest with me from the very first moment, when he told me that I was going to be less involved. It was a pity we didn’t meet earlier."

When asked to compare his greatest achievements – the 2010 club treble with Inter Milan and Italy's World Cup triumph in 2006 – Materazzi found it impossible to choose between the two.

"Do you prefer mum or dad? I can’t choose one over the other. They were without doubt the two best nights of my career," he said.

Post-retirement, Materazzi, now 50 years old, remains active in football, occasionally participating in friendlies with his former Inter Milan team-mates. However, it is evident from his remarks that he desires his professional legacy to be remembered for the trophies he won and not for the incident with Zidane, who has enjoyed a successful career in management since hanging up his boots after the 2006 World Cup final.