Ex-Inter and Italy defender Marco Materazzi has no doubts that his former side are the favourites heading into Wednesday evening’s Coppa Italia final against Lazio, and claims that ‘nobody would have bet €1’ on the Biancocelesti reaching the final at the beginning of the campaign.
Lazio and Inter will meet at the Stadio Olimpico at 20.00 BST on Wednesday evening to do battle for the 2025-26 Coppa Italia title. Maurizio Sarri’s side have beaten Milan, Bologna and Atalanta in order to qualify for tonight’s final, while Inter have overcome Venezia, Torino and Como in the earlier rounds of the competition.
By coincidence, the two finalists also met at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A over the weekend, ending 3-0 in favour of Cristian Chivu’s recently-crowned Scudetto winners.
Inter and Lazio are the joint-second and fourth-most successful sides in the competition’s history: The Nerazzurri will be hoping to make it 10 cup titles on Wednesday, the Biancocelesti will be hoping to make it eight.
Materazzi previews Lazio vs. Inter Coppa Italia final
Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Materazzi says that Saturday’s ‘preview’ in Serie A only solidifies the fact that Inter are the strong favourites heading into the Coppa Italia final.
“It’s given us several indications. I saw an Inter side that didn’t pull the plug. They had a goal, reached it and didn’t take their foot off the gas. It’s a team that is determined to conquer everything it can. It’s a club where few poor decisions are made.
“I bet many Inter fans that they wouldn’t have believed Cristian could achieve all this at the beginning of the season. I’ve always said one thing: ‘Don’t worry, he knows what he’s doing’.
Materazzi also named his standout player of the season so far: “I’m so happy and proud of Thuram’s journey. He’s been criticised a bit and his qualities have been doubted. I sent Marcus a lot of messages during that time, telling him not to give up and to remember how strong he is.
“When the balance was restored, in the sense that he and Lautaro started playing together again, and I don’t want to blame Pio, who we can only thank for his contributions at the age of 20, we saw who the really important players are.”
There is no denying the fact that Inter look their strongest when they have both Thuram and Lautaro Martinez available.
“They missed Lautaro a lot and partly Marcus as well when he wasn’t playing in his best condition. But the moment he properly returned, towards the end of March, he scored important goals for the Scudetto. Maybe it was good for him to not read the criticism during his worst period. Inter would do well to keep hold of him.”
And on Lautaro himself, Materazzi added: “To someone who has scored 17 goals just in Serie A, I have to say thank you. It’s a shame that he got hurt during a difficult moment, which forced him to miss the second leg against Bodo/Glimt. If he had played that game, we’d be talking about a different story for Inter in the Champions League. As an Inter fan, I can only hope he leaves his mark on this final as well.”
The strikers are not the only threat that Inter possess, though: “Let’s not forget Nicolo Barella. At a time when many thought he had gone past his peak, he remembered exactly who he is.
“He has always played a lot and has had to deal with Italy’s elimination from the World Cup on a psychological level. He has brought out his best attributes, scored important goals and put in big performances, sometimes with the captain’s armband. The real version of him is back, so I say watch out for Barella.”
And on Lazio, Materazzi said: “They have to be proud of the path they’ve taken in this year’s Coppa Italia. At the beginning of the season, nobody would have bet €1 on them reaching the final, but they’ve got an experienced coach. Now he will have to make the players understand that they can do it. Anything can happen in a one-off game.”
What would winning the Coppa Italia mean for Materazzi’s former teammate, Chivu?
“A nice double. Those who evaluated Cristian last summer didn’t just do it based on the 13 games he had in Serie A with Parma, but for everything he represents for the Nerazzurri.
“He’s always held himself accountable and has always shown his players that he believes in them. Nobody teaches you that. There’s something inside him, and that’s been there since his time at Ajax, when he was already captain of the club at the age of 20.”
Materazzi still has one Coppa Italia final regret: The 2007 final, which was played over two legs and saw Roma win 7-4 on aggregate against Inter.
“The one we lost 6-2 in 2007 (was my biggest regret). We were probably drunk because we’d just won the Scudetto. I was suspended in the second leg. We could have overturned it, but that’s how it went.”
And Materazzi’s favourite Coppa Italia memory?
“Most of all, I care about the one in 2010. Not because it was part of the treble, but because it was a Coppa Italia campaign I always played in.
“At the beginning of the year, Mourinho called me and said: ‘I would like you to stay with us, but take your time to decide’. Two minutes later I called him back and said ‘I want to stay with you’. He told me that other players would come in and that I wouldn’t be a starter, and I was fine with that.
“Two days before the cup final, I was on the bench and Jose approached me to say: ‘But do you want to play in the final?’. He always gave me confidence and we won that Coppa Italia. For me, that trust was worth as much as winning the Champions League.”
And, providing his final assessment ahead of Wednesday’s final, Materazzi said: “Inter will go onto the pitch and prove their case because they have that potential. I see Lazio starting a little hesitantly. Maybe they’ll be a little afraid but they might have some opportunities with which they could trip the Nerazzurri. But I imagine Inter will be strong physically and mentally. And they will have one single goal: To parade two cups in Milan on Sunday.”
