Matteo Materazzi has ALS. His agent is the brother of the former footballer. His wife: "Help us."

Matteo Materazzi , brother of Marco, former Inter defender and the 2006 World Cup-winning Italian national team, suffers from a rare form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) . His wife, Maura , revealed the news, also starting a GoFundMe to help her husband. "Many of you may not yet know that my husband Matteo Materazzi was diagnosed with a rare form of ALS in September 2024," Maura Soldati wrote in an Instagram post, complete with a photo of her husband in an electric wheelchair. "At the moment, Matteo is no longer walking, only moving his hands, and is starting to have difficulty breathing."

Materazzi's wife launches a fundraiser

"This disease," he continues, "holds little hope, but there is a small glimmer of hope on the horizon! An experimental treatment made in the US, but it's very expensive, as it's a therapy that would need to be tailor-made for him, but in the future it could help everyone who shares the same mutation as him. We're doing everything we can, but with your help, it will be easier."

Who is Matteo Materazzi?

Matteo Materazzi is 49 years old. Like his brother Marco, he attempted a career as a footballer, but didn't make it beyond a few appearances in Lega Pro. After hanging up his boots, he remained in the football world as a players' agent.