Materazzi taunts Ibrahimovic with Maldini claim, warns Inter about possible derby mistake

Marco Materazzi warns that Inter must ‘not think’ about their six-game winning streak against city rivals Milan and taunts Zlatan Ibrahimovic by saying that hopefully Paolo Maldini ‘never returns’ to the club.

Inter and Milan meet in the first derby of the campaign on Sunday, but the moods of the two clubs are very different.

The Nerazzurri held Manchester City to a 0-0 draw in their 2024-25 Champions League debut on Wednesday, while Milan lost 3-1 at home against Liverpool and were booed by their fans.

Furthermore, Paulo Fonseca is under pressure and is expected to be sacked if the Rossoneri fail to beat the Nerazzurri. 

“It’s not ideal to get to the derby in this position. Usually, the team in the worst shape wins,” Materazzi, a former Inter defender, told Gazzetta.

“But let’s talk about Inter. We talk about a team that has been the best in Italy for two years, regardless of who plays. They have the same identity, and the Manchester game proved this.

Materazzi taunts Ibrahimovic with Maldini claim, warns Inter about possible derby mistake

“Did you see Zielisnki against Manchester City? It looked like he’s always played for Inter. Now it’s hard to understand who the starter is because everyone is always up to the task. They added Zielinski and Taremi, who sent Mkhitaryan and Lautaro to the bench. I’m saying this regardless of the draw against Monza. I am convinced that if Mota hadn’t scored that super goal, Inzaghi would have won it.”

Lautaro hasn’t yet scored this season and started on the bench against Manchester City this week.

“He only needs to score, and things will start again like last season,” ensured Materazzi.

“What are we talking about? He had no holiday and didn’t do any pre-season preparation. He still wins, with Inter and Argentina. He is among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or.”

Inter won six consecutive games against Milan, including the latest one in April, which gave the Nerazzurri their 20th Serie A title with five games to spare. Is there a mistake that the Nerazzurri must avoid in Sunday’s derby? ”

“Not think about the six consecutive victories because they’d be too relaxed, and it wouldn’t be good. These games defy logic sometimes,” warned Materazzi.

Ibrahimovic, Materazzi’s former teammate at Inter, made headlines on Tuesday with an explosive pre-match interview with Sky Sport Italia, where he insisted that he’s “the boss” at the club. However, Materazzi didn’t seem concerned.

“No impression at all,” he said.

“Let’s say that these words are part of his character. The only thing I can say as an Inter fan is that I hope Paolo Maldini never returns to the club.”