Marco Materazzi admits he's in regular contact with Roma defender Gianluca Mancini.

Inter Milan hero Materazzi is a mentor for the Italy international.

He told Gazzetta: “I don't text him too much. I don't think it's needed, especially when you have a solid relationship like ours.

“I'm simply happy with his journey; he is deservedly reaping the rewards."

On how they first became close, Materazzi continued: “He was playing for Perugia, another thing we have in common.

“Renzo Luchini, the legendary massage therapist, called me and said, 'There is a guy who goes crazy for you. He even got the number 23 tattooed.' I went out to meet him and gave him my shirt. It all started from there. I saw a special light. Now, he is a Romanista, but at that time, he only had eyes for Inter.

“Even if he [Mancini] creates controversies and is divisive sometimes, he doesn't change.

“His fans love him, and the rivals hate me—just like it happened to me. It's a quality; it means to be real. And he's a good guy anyway. Never confuse what happens on the pitch with what goes on off the field.

“With time and experience, you can correct some errors but don't talk to me about that Lazio flag. It was a mockery that ended there; blowing it out of proportion is useless. I would have said the same thing if a Lazio player had done it to him."