Matteo Brighi - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Matteo Brighi

Encyclopedia

Matteo Brighi is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

) is an Italian

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...

football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

player. He currently plays as a midfielder for 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...

club Atalanta. Brighi was named Serie A Young Footballer of the Year

Serie A Young Footballer of the Year

The Serie A Young Footballer of the Year is an annual association football award. It is presented to the under-24 footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season...

in 2002. Brighi is noted for his stamina, tackling, and aerial abilities.

Club career

Brighi started his career at Rimini

Rimini Calcio F.C.

Associazione Calcio Rimini 1912 is an Italian association football club based in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna....

. In 2000, he was purchased by Juventus

Juventus F.C.

Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

Parma

In 2002, 50% of the registration rights to Matteo Brighi were sold to A.C. Parma

Parma F.C.

Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...

by Juventus F.C.

Juventus F.C.

Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

as part of the deal which saw Marco Di Vaio

Marco Di Vaio

Marco Di Vaio is an Italian football striker, who currently plays for Bologna FC. In his long career, Di Vaio has played for the likes of Lazio, Hellas Verona, Bari, Salernitana, Parma, Juventus, Valencia and Monaco...

to Juventus. The transfer was worth €5 million at the time.

Chievo

In 2004, Juventus bought back Brighi's rights for a €11.5 million and sold them to Roma as part of the deal for Emerson

Emerson Ferreira da Rosa

Émerson Ferreira da Rosa , simply known as Emerson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. He had 73 caps for Brazil from 1997 to 2006.-Grêmio:...

worth €16 million. He signed a 5-year contract worth €0.93 million in gross annually.

However Brighi was then immediately sent on loan to Chievo

A.C. ChievoVerona

Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona is a professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 2,800 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a cake company and the inspiration for their original name, Paluani Chievo...

for three seasons. That season Roma also signed central midfielder Simone Perrotta

Simone Perrotta

Simone Perrotta, Ufficiale OMRI is an English-born Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma...

from the Verona

Verona

Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...

side. Chievo had to pay Roma per appearances of Brighi, which each 5 appearances worth €80,000. He played for Chievo at the UEFA Champions League 2006–07 third qualifying round and twice at UEFA Cup 2006–07 first round. In his last season, he formed the midfield line with Paolo Sammarco

Paolo Sammarco

Paolo Sammarco is an Italian football midfielder, currently playing for A.C. ChievoVerona on loan from U.C. Sampdoria.-Chievo:...

and Franco Semioli

Franco Semioli

Franco Semioli is an Italian footballer for U.C. Sampdoria of Serie A. He plays in the role of right wing.-Club career:...

for over 20 matches. Although Chievo relegated in June, their performance earned each a transfer to a different club.

Roma

In 2007, returned to Roma. On 25 July 2008, he signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until June 2012. His annual gross salary was increased. He at first earned €1.3M in 2008–09. This will increase to €1.6M in 2011–12.

Brighi has played in recent seasons on the left-centre in a 3-man midfield next to Daniele De Rossi

Daniele De Rossi

Daniele De Rossi, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma. He is the current Roma's vice-captain and nicknamed as Capitan Futuro due to his high probabality as heir-apparent to Francesco Totti's captain armband.With Roma he has won the Coppa Italia...

. Brighi was previously used by Roma behind De Rossi as a defensive midfielder. Brighi helped Roma to a strong 2009-10 season. The team finished second in Serie A

Serie A

, just behind champions Inter Milan.

In a 20 November 2008 interview with La Repubblica, Brighi called Luciano Spalletti “the best I’ve ever had in terms of managing the group, and I’ve had some great ones like Guidolin

Francesco Guidolin

Francesco Guidolin is an Italian football manager and former player, currently serving as head coach of Serie A outfit Udinese.-Playing career:...

and Prandelli

Cesare Prandelli

Cesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:...

.” Around the same time he told Sky Italia

Sky Italia

Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...

, “I like to work, not talk. Other players talk and sell themselves, certainly better than I do. I don’t blame them for it. It’s just not me." In the same interview, he was asked who his favourite players were growing up and who he admires in football. "As a boy I loved Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa...

when he was at Sampdoria

U.C. Sampdoria

Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...

, even though he played in a different position than I do. Now, as everyone knows, Damiano Tommasi inspires me. It's an honour to be compared to a great player and a great person like him." Tommasi has said of Brighi: “He’s more talented than I am, I just got the chance to play in a great team and win something special. I hope Matteo gets the same chance.”

On 9 November 2008, Italian National Team Manager Marcello Lippi

Marcello Lippi

Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...

, who worked with Brighi at Juventus, was quoted in Rome newspaper Il Romanista as saying, "My memories of Brighi are optimal. From the human point of view he is a splendid boy, and from the technical point of view he is one of those diligent midfielders that every trainer would want to have. To my warning, at the beginning of his career, he was praised so excessively that too many expectations were created around him."

In September 2010, he signed a 4-year contract, in which his annual salary increased to €1.8 million in 2010–11 Serie A

2010–11 Serie A

The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011...

season and to €2.3M in the next three seasons.

In August 2011, he joined Atalanta on loan.

International career

At youth level, he played at 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

UEFA U-21 Championship 2002 was the 13th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Switzerland between 16 and 28 May 2002.Czech Republic U-21s won the competition for the first time.-Qualification:...

, formed the midfield with Manuele Blasi

Manuele Blasi

Manuele Blasi is an Italian football midfielder who currently plays for Serie A club Parma.-Career:A centre midfielder, Blasi made his Serie A debut for A.S. Roma in a match against Piacenza on 22 January 2000. he also played for Lecce at Serie B before returned to Roma. In mid-2000 he was signed...

, Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...

and Marco Marchionni

Marco Marchionni

Marco Marchionni is an Italian footballer who plays as a right winger for Serie A club Fiorentina.-Football career:He began his professional career with Empoli F.C. in 1998, joined form CND team Monterotondo, only to leave the team for Parma in 2001...

. He also won the 2004 edition and qualified to Olympics

Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics

The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...

.

Brighi's debut for 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...

came when he started the friendly match against Slovenia

Slovenia national football team

The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....

in 2002, when he was 21. However, he has been called up once again by Coach Marcello Lippi for 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Montenegro and the Republic of Ireland in 2009. On March 28, 2009, Brighi was put on as a substitute in the 80th minute against Montenegro, playing for his first time since 2002. Four days later, he was chosen for the starting selection in Italy's draw with Ireland.

Brighi was called up again to play in Italy's pre-Confederations Cup friendly against Northern Ireland. Brighi came on as a second half substitute for Gennaro Gattuso, and provided many spectacular passes, one of which lead to a goal. Although Brighi played magnificently, he was not selected in Italy's 23-man roster for the Confederations Cup.

Statistics

|-
|1998/99||rowspan="2"|Rimini Calcio

Rimini Calcio F.C.

Associazione Calcio Rimini 1912 is an Italian association football club based in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna....

||rowspan="2"|Serie C2||10||1||||||colspan="2"|-||10||1
|-
|1999/00||34||6||||||colspan="2"|-||34||6
|-
|2000/01||Juventus

Juventus F.C.

Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

||Serie A

Serie A

||11||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||12||0
|-
|2001/02||Bologna

Bologna F.C. 1909

Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...

||Serie A

Serie A

||32||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||33||0
|-
|2002/03||Parma

Parma F.C.

||Serie A

Serie A

||22||1||0||0||3||0||25||1
|-
|2003/04||Brescia

Brescia Calcio

Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...

||Serie A

Serie A

||29||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||31||1
|-
|2004/05||rowspan="3"|Chievo Verona||rowspan="3"|Serie A

Serie A

||35||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||36||1
|-
|2005/06||26||2||0||0||colspan="2"|-||26||2
|-
|2006/07||27||6||1||0||3||0||31||6
|-
|2007/08||rowspan="2"|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...

||rowspan="2"|Serie A

Serie A

||24||1||5||0||2||0||31||1
|-
|2008/09||35||3||2||0||7||3||44||6
|-
|2009/10||rowspan="2"|Roma

A.S. Roma

||rowspan="2"|Serie A

Serie A

||24||4||2||1||4||0||30||5
|-
|2010/11||||||||||||||||
309||26||15||1||19||3||343||30
309||26||15||1||19||3||343||30
|}

|-
|2002||1||0
|-
|2003||0||0
|-
|2004||0||0
|-
|2005||0||0
|-
|2006||0||0
|-
|2007||0||0
|-
|2008||0||0
|-
|2009||3||0
|-
!Total||4||0
|}

Personal life

Brighi gave perhaps his most revealing interview to website romanews.eu on 13 January 2009. He discussed many topics, including the pressures today's footballer's face and their bad decisions off the field, his admiration for Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...

("My reference as a player, he's won the World Cup and many trophies with Milan

A.C. Milan

Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

"), making it a priority to not live a lifestyle of excess in the current economic crisis as people lose their jobs daily, his hobbies ("dinners with friends, cinema, concerts, novels"), when he realized his life had changed as a Roma player ("I've been here a year, but two months ago my life was different. Nobody stopped me on the street and said, 'Matteo, you are a phenomenon!'"), his best friends at the club ("Tonetto

Max Tonetto

Max Tonetto is an Italian football defender. Naturally left footed, his preferred position is the left midfielder position...

and Perrotta

Simone Perrotta

Simone Perrotta, Ufficiale OMRI is an English-born Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma...

, two people who know how to detach from football, but I often eat meals with Aquilani

Alberto Aquilani

Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...

, De Rossi and Okaka

Stefano Okaka Chuka

Stefano Chuka Okaka is an Italian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Roma.-Club career:...

"), being single but dreaming of starting a family one day, the fact that he does not see himself as unique ("I'm not the only player that goes home and reads a book instead of going to a disco all night"), and above all his intention to end his career playing for Rimini ("When I went away, I promised I would go back one day. And that day will come").

His younger brother Marco

Marco Brighi

Marco Brighi is an Italian footballer who plays for A.C. Rimini 1912.Brother of Matteo Brighi, he was signed by Juventus in summer 2002. He was loaned to Serie C1 and Serie C2 clubs before being signed permanently by Bellaria Igea Marina.In the season 2010/11, Marco played for A.C. Rimini 1912...

is also a professional footballer.

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