Marco Materazzi has been speaking about his time at Everton and his hopes for the club's future under David Moyes
MUNICH, GERMANY - MAY 31: Marco Materazzi former player of FC Internazionale Milano waves at fans ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at on May 31, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
Former Everton defender Marco Materazzi waves at fans of another of his old club's, Inter Milan, before their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Munich on Saturday
(Image: Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)
Marco Materazzi believes his former club Everton can replicate what Nottingham Forest did this season. And the World Cup winner has reflected on his love for Goodison Park.
Forest finished fourth from bottom and two places below Everton in a fraught 2023-24 campaign that saw both clubs deducted points for breaking Profit and Sustainability Rules.
But the City Ground outfit have just had a completely different season. Taking their fight for Champions League qualification to the final day, their 1-0 home loss to top-five rivals Chelsea ultimately meant they had to settle for seventh spot and Europa Conference League football in 2025-26.
The Blues, meanwhile, hauled themselves up to a 13th-placed finish after a remarkable turnaround in form following Sean Dyche's sacking in January and the return of David Moyes to the manager's hotseat.
With new owners The Friedkin Group prepared to back Moyes in the transfer market, and a new stadium ready to be moved into, Materazzi reckons Everton could soon be in the mix at the top end of the table.
"So this year they started very, very badly, but they finished in a good position," said the ex-Italy international.
"Now that they have built the new stadium, they have to try to build a new team. Everton can imitate Nottingham Forest because they had a good season.
"Everton is a good team and a good club, and now they need to take it step by step.
"As an Everton fan, I would like two, three, four new players to be in the fight for the top six teams in the Premier League."
Materazzi spent one colourful campaign with the Blues during the late 90s.
Then returning to his homeland, the centre-back went on to win 14 major honours with Inter Milan, including the Champions League under Jose Mourinho.
He also equalised in the 2006 World Cup final that saw Italy beat France on penalties after Zinedine Zidane, who had opened the scoring, was sent off for headbutting Materazzi.
But while his stay on Merseyside was a short one, it's one the 51-year-old looks back fondly on.
"It was fantastic," said Materazzi exclusively to OLBG.com. "The Premier League was different then.
"I had to go back to Italy, because no Italian footballer who played in England could reach the national team, and I had a dream to reach the national team. So I had to go back.
"Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea couldn’t get in the national team, Pierluigi Casiraghi also couldn’t and neither could Gianluca Vialli! The national team manager's mentality was different to what it is right now.
“Now, if you play in the Premier League, they will pick you immediately for the national team because the level is so high."
Asked who his favourite team-mates at Everton were, Materazzi said: "I have a good friendship with Olivier Dacourt. We played together at Everton and at Inter Milan and won the league together.
"Nick Barmby was also one of the best team-mates I had at Everton, what a player he was."
While Barmby did the unthinkable and signed for rivals Liverpool, Blues supporters have stayed loyal to their team despite a trophy drought that now stretches back 30 years.
But with the club ready to move into their magnificent new Hill Dickinson Stadium after the men's team waved an emotional goodbye to Goodison Park, brighter times appear ahead.
And asked what is favourite memory is from his time at Everton, Materazzi said: "The people, of course, the fans, because they love the team.
"Look at what happened with the last game before they move to the new stadium. Many, many fans cried because they love that place.
"I loved that place, too, and the best memory was when I scored the goals against Middlesbrough when we won by 4 or 5; on the free-kick, the stadium was amazing, it was incredible.
"That is my favourite moment in Everton."