Damiano Tommasi
Encyclopedia
Damiano Tommasi is an Italian
former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current president of the Italian Footballers' Association
(AIC).
Tommasi was one of the key players in Roma
's Serie A
winning-squad in 2001. He also appeared with Italy
at the 2002 World Cup
. After a full decade representing the colours of the Giallorossi, he started an abroad career, going on to play for teams in three different countries until his retirement at the age of 37.
, Province of Verona
, Tommasi started his professional career with local Hellas Verona
, in Serie B
. He made his top division
debut on 7 September 1996, with A.S. Roma
, a 3–1 win over Piacenza Calcio
, and would be an instrumental figure in the capital
side's 2001 scudetto conquest.
During a summer friendly match against Stoke City
in 2004, Tommasi suffered a horrible knee
injury, caused by Gerry Taggart
, and was out of action for a long time. In the summer of 2005 he accepted a one-year contract extension, with youth player wages (€
1500 a month) - a contract which, astonishingly, Tommasi instigated himself in the name of fairness. On 30 October 2005, he finally returned to play, entering on the second-half in place of Olivier Dacourt, during a league match against Ascoli Calcio 1898
, being even hailed with a long standing ovation
by the Roma supporters.
On 27 November 2005, Tommasi scored after just two minutes, in an eventual 1–1 home tie against ACF Fiorentina
, being an important first-team member as Roma finished runner-up. After 10 years with the same club, in July 2006, he joined Levante UD
in Spain
, spending two seasons with the La Liga
strugglers, which eventually got relegated in 2007–08.
On 10 September 2008, Tommasi agreed a one-year deal with English
second division
team Queens Park Rangers
. On 9 January 2009, his contract was terminated by mutual consent and, after advanced talks with Chinese League
's Tianjin Teda, he signed for the club early in the following month, citing an interest in a third experience abroad as the main reason for it.
After one season, 35-year old Tommasi left Teda and decided to return to Italy, joining amateurs Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo (Seconda Categoria
), where he played alongside his two brothers. He made his debut with the team on 13 December 2009.
that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship
, also being picked for the 1996 Olympic Games
in Atlanta. He made his first senior side
appearance for the Azzurri on 18 November 1998, against Spain
, but did not become a regular until 2001.
Picked for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
in Japan
and South Korea
, Tommasi played in all four of Italy's matches, in a round of 16 exit.
, called Tommasi Pretti Seeber Sports Culture & Exchange Co., Ltd (TPS), aimed at creating a reliable bridge between Europe
and the Asia
n country in the field of football.
On 9 May 2011, he became the president of the Italian Footballers' Association
, succeeding historical Sergio Campana
, in office for 43 years.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current president of the Italian Footballers' Association
Italian Footballers' Association
The Italian Footballers' Association , also referred to by the acronym AIC, is the association for footballers in Italy...
(AIC).
Tommasi was one of the key players in Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
's Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
winning-squad in 2001. He also appeared with Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
at the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. After a full decade representing the colours of the Giallorossi, he started an abroad career, going on to play for teams in three different countries until his retirement at the age of 37.
Club career
Born in NegrarNegrar
Negrar is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 110 km west of Venice and about 12 km northwest of Verona.-History:...
, Province of Verona
Province of Verona
The Province of Verona is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Verona.-Overview:The province has an area of 3,109 km², and a total population of 912,981...
, Tommasi started his professional career with local Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
, in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
. He made his top division
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
debut on 7 September 1996, with A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, a 3–1 win over Piacenza Calcio
Piacenza Calcio
Piacenza Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Piacenza. The club was formed in 1919 and currently plays in Italian Lega Pro Prima Divisione B. The team's colors are red and white, prompting one of the team's nicknames, the Biancorossi. They are also known as the Papaveri , and...
, and would be an instrumental figure in the capital
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
side's 2001 scudetto conquest.
During a summer friendly match against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in 2004, Tommasi suffered a horrible knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury, caused by Gerry Taggart
Gerry Taggart
Gerald "Gerry" Taggart is a former professional footballer. On 10 June 2010, he was announced as the new assistant manager at Oldham Athletic.-Manchester City:...
, and was out of action for a long time. In the summer of 2005 he accepted a one-year contract extension, with youth player wages (€
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1500 a month) - a contract which, astonishingly, Tommasi instigated himself in the name of fairness. On 30 October 2005, he finally returned to play, entering on the second-half in place of Olivier Dacourt, during a league match against Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...
, being even hailed with a long standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
by the Roma supporters.
On 27 November 2005, Tommasi scored after just two minutes, in an eventual 1–1 home tie against ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
, being an important first-team member as Roma finished runner-up. After 10 years with the same club, in July 2006, he joined Levante UD
Levante UD
Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, in the namesake community.Founded in 1909, it plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadi Ciutat de València.-Early years:...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, spending two seasons with the La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
strugglers, which eventually got relegated in 2007–08.
On 10 September 2008, Tommasi agreed a one-year deal with English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
second division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
team Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
. On 9 January 2009, his contract was terminated by mutual consent and, after advanced talks with Chinese League
Chinese Super League
The Chinese Football Association Super League , commonly known as Chinese Super League or CSL, currently known as the Pirelli Chinese Football Association Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest tier of professional association football in China, operating under the auspices of the...
's Tianjin Teda, he signed for the club early in the following month, citing an interest in a third experience abroad as the main reason for it.
After one season, 35-year old Tommasi left Teda and decided to return to Italy, joining amateurs Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo (Seconda Categoria
Seconda Categoria
Seconda Categoria is the actual name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 9th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Seconda Categoria level progresses to their closest regional league in the Prima Categoria level...
), where he played alongside his two brothers. He made his debut with the team on 13 December 2009.
International career
Tommasi played for the Italian U-21 teamItaly national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship
1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 1996, which spanned two years , had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total....
, also being picked for the 1996 Olympic Games
Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The association football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held in Birmingham, Alabama; Washington, D.C; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Athens, Georgia....
in Atlanta. He made his first senior side
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
appearance for the Azzurri on 18 November 1998, against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, but did not become a regular until 2001.
Picked for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Tommasi played in all four of Italy's matches, in a round of 16 exit.
Club
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 2000–01 - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 20012001 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2001 Supercoppa Italiana was a match played by Serie A 2000-01 winners Roma and Coppa Italia 2000-01 winners Fiorentina.The match took place on 19 August 2001 in Stadio Olimpico, Rome and resulted in a 3-0 victory for Roma.... - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: Runner-up 2005–06
Country
- UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
: 19961996 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 1996, which spanned two years , had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total....
Post-retirement
In January 2010, together with his agent Andrea Pretti and longtime friend Werner Seeber, Tommasi set up a company in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, called Tommasi Pretti Seeber Sports Culture & Exchange Co., Ltd (TPS), aimed at creating a reliable bridge between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n country in the field of football.
On 9 May 2011, he became the president of the Italian Footballers' Association
Italian Footballers' Association
The Italian Footballers' Association , also referred to by the acronym AIC, is the association for footballers in Italy...
, succeeding historical Sergio Campana
Sergio Campana (footballer)
Sergio Campana is an Italian lawyer and former professional footballer. He served as the first President of the Italian Footballers' Association from 1968 to 2011, when he decided to step down.- External links :...
, in office for 43 years.
Personal
- Married to Chiara, Tommasi has five children: Beatrice, Camilla, Susanna, Samuele and Emanuele.
- A philanthropist, he arranges for footballers' disciplinary fines to go to good causes.
- When first called-up by the national side, Tommasi said he didn't deserve the honour in that moment.