Totti and Materazzi Star in the First Episode of “AperiTotti,” the New Betsson.Sport Format
In the new content from Betsson.Sport, the two World Champions share untold anecdotes, discuss great managers, and reveal behind-the-scenes stories of the 2006 World Cup.
Materazzi reveals: “When Ronaldo had the ball, I’d call Cordoba: you deal with him”
Totti: “Maradona is football, then there’s Ronnie. He is poetry; my only regret is not having played together”
AperiTotti makes its debut, the new Betsson.Sport format hosted by Pierluigi Pardo, which takes fans inside the stories and secrets of Italian football through the voices of its protagonists. In the first episode, Francesco Totti and Marco Materazzi engaged in an unfiltered dialogue, sharing sharp analysis and personal backstories about their careers, touching on crucial themes such as managers, the 2006 World Cup, the disappointment of May 5, 2002, and the comparison between the greatest champions of all time.
Asked about the greatest ever, Francesco Totti drew up his personal ranking: “Maradona is football. Then there’s Ronnie [Ronaldo, ‘Il Fenomeno’], who for me is the first of all. He is poetry; my only regret is not having played together. Only after them come Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.” A thought shared by Materazzi, who, as a teammate, admitted: “In training, during 1-on-1s, every time Ronaldo had the ball I would turn around, call Cordoba and say: you deal with him.”
The former Giallorossi captain then paid tribute to his most significant managers, defining Carlo Mazzone as “the architect of everything, he managed me at 360 degrees when I was 17,” and promoting José Mourinho’s work at Roma: “How did I see him? Top. Number one. He brought back a trophy after many, many years.” Totti also recalled his bond with Antonio Cassano: “I raised him as soon as he arrived; to me, he was like a younger brother. He is as good as bread, even if sometimes a bit too direct.”
On the other side, Marco Materazzi surprised everyone with praise for a former rival and national teammate: “For my generation, Alessandro Nesta was the strongest defender of all. Stronger than Maldini and Baresi, for me. As an admirer, when I had to replace him in the 2006 national team, I hoped until the very last moment that he would return.” The former Nerazzurri defender then recalled the greatest disappointment of his career: “I would trade that Scudetto of May 5, 2002, for another two or three that I won later. It was the year of reconstruction and no one expected us to get there.”
The transition to the 2006 triumph was inevitable. Totti revealed the key support of Marcello Lippi during his record recovery: “He waited for me from the very day of the injury,” while Materazzi remembered the goal in the final: “That morning Cannavaro told me that Henry was afraid of me. When I jumped, he didn’t worry much about the ball and I arrived with perfect timing.”
This appointment, viewable on YouTube at this link, inaugurates the series of exclusive content that Betsson.Sport will produce as part of the “AperiTotti” format, an editorial project dedicated to the legends of Italian football.
For further information: Spencer & Lewis for Betsson.Sport
