Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi has spoken of his bust-up with Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli last season.

Materazzi famously had a fight with teammate Balotelli when the now-Manchester City striker threw his shirt to the ground after the Champions League semi-final with Barcelona.

"Mario got a slap and a shoe in the face. But when he had his operation I was in hospital at midnight to keep him company and get snacks from the machine.

"As for Ibrahimovic, the truth is that Inter ought to thank him. If we had faced Barcelona a year ago with him in the side, perhaps we wouldn't have been able to eliminate them and therefore wouldn't have won the Champions League."