Marco Materazzi trusts Antonio Conte can succeed with Italy, but Mario Balotelli’s career “is going backwards.”

The defender scored a goal in the 2006 World Cup Final as well as famously being head-butted in the chest by Zinedine Zidane.

Marco Materazzi trusts Antonio Conte can succeed with Italy, but Mario Balotelli’s career “is going backwards.”

The defender scored a goal in the 2006 World Cup Final as well as famously being head-butted in the chest by Zinedine Zidane.

“Conte is Italy’s best Coach, so he can recreate a strong and above all united Nazionale,” Matrix told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He’s right not to rely on star names for his call-ups. The truth is that in difficult moments it’s the old guard that makes the difference.

“The likes of Pirlo, Buffon and De Rossi… if they said certain things after the recent World Cup elimination, it means there wasn’t the right atmosphere.”

Materazzi was Balotelli’s team-mate at Inter and remains a good friend, but is disheartened by the Liverpool striker’s attitude.

“He has everything it takes to be a champion, but he has not progressed. If anything, he is going backwards.

“Mario is a polite, sensitive person and he has suffered in his life. However, he should travel, even in India, to understand certain things.

“He should’ve learned from Ibrahimovic in training. Ibra is incredible, as he always gives 100 per cent and demands the same from everyone. That’s the only way to become truly great.”

Materazzi is now the player-manager of Indian Super League team Chennaiyin.

While Balotelli is being lambasted in the British media for swapping his shirt with Real Madrid’s Pepe at half-time, there was a far more serious incident in his Inter days.

Balo famously took off his jersey and threw it to the ground at the final whistle of a hard-fought 3-1 Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona in April 2010.

It was reported that Materazzi pinned him to the wall in the locker room, while everyone at the club was furious with his attitude and fans even tried to attack Balotelli on his way out of the stadium.

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