"I can't imagine life without him" – Football manager's wife launches fundraising campaign to save husband's life
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Mateo, 49, was diagnosed in September with a rare and aggressive form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His mobility has rapidly deteriorated since.
Today, Mateo is in a wheelchair, unable to move his arms, and the disease is progressing rapidly.
They have two sons, Geremia, 18, and Gianfilippo, 16, who have a 15-20% chance of inheriting the same genetic mutation.
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The fight for personalized therapy
Three days ago, Maura launched an online campaign that has already raised €200,000, but this is just the beginning, as reported by Sportal.
"Our goal is to save my husband's life, but also the lives of those who will face the same diagnosis in the future."
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Mateo's only hope is a personalized ASO therapy developed in collaboration with Columbia University in New York and Dr. Schneider, a pioneering researcher in the field. They need $1.5 million and, most critically, time.
"We have a year, but the question is whether we'll actually have it." The illness, she says, began with depression. "He withdrew into himself, no longer wanting to go out with friends. We were told this could be a precursor to the illness. Then he started limping, thinking he'd injured himself jumping a fence. He fell often, walked like a robot, and tired easily. He refused to go for checkups."
The turning point came at a match for their son, who plays for Lazio's youth team. Mateo fell from the stands.
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Former Juventus footballer Claudio Marchisio approached him and asked, "Have you seen anyone about this?" He connected them with the Vialli and Mauro Foundation, which referred them to Professor Sabatelli at the Nemo Center in Rome. The diagnosis was clear even without further testing.
Maura decided to tell their children the truth herself. "The psychologist wasn't getting back to me, so I was direct. She later told me I'd done the right thing."
A difficult period followed the diagnosis. "We cried for days, day and night. Then we decided to fight. I'm pragmatic, he's an optimist by nature. In a few months he lost the use of his legs, now he can't move his arms, just his hands a little. The disease is progressing rapidly. He'd love to see his children grow up, but he doesn't believe he will. He's realistic – 50% of ALS patients die within three years."
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The largest single donation was €50,000. "I can't say the name, but it's someone from the football world. We know them, but not very well. Still, we weren't surprised – that person is special."
Many have wondered: where is his brother Marco in all of this? They had a complicated relationship for years, but from the moment Mateo got sick, they've been talking every day. Marco is contributing what he can, despite having his own family. But he's there for him – and Mateo is overjoyed about that.
In other news, his brother Marco Materazzi has reflected on Zidane's headbutt during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, claiming 'It doesn't do justice.'