Materazzi’s headbutt score now reads 0-2

ROME: As Inter Milan beat Sampdoria 2-0 in a Serie A match on Sunday, Inter’s international defender Marco Materazzi registered a similar score on a disagreeable count: being the victim of a headbutt. 

Materazzi, who was butted by Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup Final last year, faced a similar assault from Sampdoria’s Gennaro Delvecchio in Sunday’s match.

Angered by a late challenge on Inter keeper Julio Cesar, Materazzi exchanged angry words with Delvecchio. The exchange ended when Delvecchio butted Materazzi squarely on the chin in the seventh minute of the game. Delvecchio was sent off as Materazzi lay on the ground.

Sampdoria coach Walter Novellino slammed Delvecchio. “A professional player cannot do such a thing and I won’t try to defend it,” he said. “Even if there was provocation, his actions cannot be justified.”

Materazzi claims he did not provoke Delvecchio. “My reaction was instinctive. I wanted to protect my keeper,” he said. “I went over to say to him ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ He then pushed me and I didn’t go down. Then he headbutted me and I fell to the ground. He hurt my lip.”