Marco Materazzi has revealed what was said in the first interaction he had with Zinedine Zidane after the Frenchman headbutted the Italian in the 2006 World Cup final.

France and Italy met at the Olympiastadion in Berlin in football's showpiece event, with les Blues bidding to earn a second star on their shirt, while Gli Azzurri were aiming for their first triumph in the competition since 1982. Zidane opened the scoring from the penalty spot just seven minutes into the clash, before Materazzi levelled proceedings with a fine header from Andrea Pirlo's corner.

Following an intense opening 90 minutes, the game went to extra time. With the encounter poised at 1-1 with nine minutes left, the momentum shifted in Itay's direction when Zidane was sent off for aggressively headbutting Materazzi. The referee and the linesman revealed that they didn't spot the moment when the former Real Madrid midfielder's head collided with the defender.

The incident was instead seen by the fourth official, Medina Cantalejo, who advised referee Horacio Elizondo to show Zidane the red card.

This notorious moment ultimately cost the 1998 Ballon d'Or winner, who wasn't available to take a penalty in the shootout, which Italy went on to win 5-3.

Materazzi Sheds Light on Zidane Interaction in 2004

Zidane faced backlash for his poor temperament in the 2006 World Cup final, while Materazzi was also blamed for provoking the France international.

This hasty moment understandably left both players sour, and according to the Inter Milan legend, the pair wouldn't speak to each other until 2010, four years after the incident in Berlin.

Speaking to EuroSport, Materazzi detailed his brief interaction with Zidane after a game between Inter and Real Madrid.

"The opportunity came up, as we know," he said.

"It was in November 2010, at the Meliá Hotel in Milan, on the eve of the Milan vs. Real Madrid match. I was leaving the hotel after saying hello to Mourinho. He was parking his car in the back. When he saw me, he hesitated a bit; he even turned around to drive away, but I walked over to him and held out my hand: ‘I’m glad we ran into each other here, where no one can see us.’ He replied, ‘Don’t worry, these things happen, it’s in the past.’ Too bad he later denied everything, claiming he thought I was a fan.”

Materazzi went on to discuss the incident in further detail, claiming that he would've forgiven Zidane had the Frenchman apologised for his actions.

“I would say today what I would have said that night, twenty years ago, or the very next day: ‘I was wrong, but I was provoked. Judge me however you like: that’s how things happened, and I ask for your forgiveness.’

"He would have come across as a gentleman, and Materazzi as the ‘usual jerk’, the one who had provoked the whole thing in his own way. He would have come out of it better, but everyone has their own way of seeing things. One thing is certain: the matter would have been closed right then and there.

"And he could have avoided that, because I wasn’t the first or the last to hold back an opponent to prevent him from scoring. On the contrary, if I were a coach and had a defender who didn’t foul his opponent out of malice, I’d shake his hand."