An aggressive, physical, and hard-tackling centre-back, who was also known for his tight marking of opponents, Materazzi was considered to be one of the best defenders of his generation, and was highly regarded by two of the world's most respected coaches, Marcello Lippi and José Mourinho, later becoming close friends with both managers. Materazzi was lauded by his managers in particular for being a goal threat as a defender, due to his outstanding aerial ability, which made him dangerous during set pieces. His prolific goalscoring allowed him to capture the record for most goals in a Serie A season by a defender, which was broken during the 2000–01 season. He was also an accurate set piece and penalty kick taker, with a powerful shot from distance. In addition to these attributes, he had solid technical skills and reliable distribution, and was known for frequently playing long balls to the strikers. During his time with Internazionale, he developed the nickname "Matrix".