Damiano Tommasi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damiano Tommasi
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| Mayor of Verona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 29 June 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Federico Sboarina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 17 May 1974 Negrar, Italy |
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| Political party | Centre-left independent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Footballer, sports manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Association football career
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Damiano Tommasi (born 17 May 1974) is an Italian politician and a former professional footballer. He is currently the mayor of Verona, a city in Italy.
During his football career, Tommasi played as a defensive midfielder. He spent ten years playing for Roma, where his team won the Serie A title in 2001. Serie A is the top football league in Italy. After his time in Italy, he played for teams in other countries before he stopped playing professionally at age 37. He played 262 games in Serie A and scored 14 goals.
Tommasi played 25 times for the Italian national team. These appearances are called "caps." He was part of the team that played in the 2002 World Cup.
After his football career, he became the president of the Italian Footballers' Association from 2011 to 2020. In 2021, he started a career in politics and was elected Mayor of Verona in 2022.
Contents
Football Career Highlights
Playing for Clubs
Damiano Tommasi was born in Negrar, a town near Verona. He began his professional football journey with his local club, Hellas Verona, which played in Serie B (the second-highest league in Italy).
He made his first appearance in Serie A on 7 September 1996, playing for AS Roma. Roma won that game 3–1 against Piacenza Calcio. Tommasi was a very important player for Roma when they won the scudetto (the Italian league championship) in the 2000–01 season. His coach, Fabio Capello, even said he was the team's most important player.
In 2004, during a friendly match, Tommasi got a serious knee injury. He was out of action for a long time. In 2005, he agreed to a new contract with Roma for a very low salary, showing his dedication to the club. He returned to play on 30 October 2005, and the Roma fans gave him a huge cheer.
After ten years with Roma, Tommasi moved to Levante UD in Spain in July 2006. He played for them for two seasons in La Liga, the top Spanish league.
In 2008, Tommasi signed a one-year deal with Queens Park Rangers, an English team. In 2009, he moved to Tianjin TEDA in the Chinese Super League, wanting to experience playing in a third different country.
After playing in China, Tommasi, at 35, returned to Italy. He joined an amateur team called Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo, where he played with his two brothers. He even came out of retirement almost six years later to play for SP La Fiorita from San Marino in the UEFA Europa League, a big European club competition.
Playing for Italy
Tommasi played for the Italian under-21 team that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship. He also played in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
He made his debut for the senior Italian team on 18 November 1998. He became a regular player for the national team in 2001.
Tommasi was chosen by coach Giovanni Trapattoni to be part of the Italian squad for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. He played in all four of Italy's matches in the tournament. Italy was knocked out in the round of 16. In their match against co-hosts South Korea, a goal he scored was disallowed due to a controversial offside call.
Tommasi played his last game for Italy on 16 November 2003. He scored his first goal for his country on 5 September 2001, in a friendly match against Morocco.
How He Played Football
Damiano Tommasi was known as a quick, strong, and hardworking player. He was very good at stopping opponents' attacks and taking the ball away. He often played as a box-to-box midfielder or a defensive midfielder. This meant he could cover a lot of ground on the field.
He also had good technique and was an accurate passer. This helped him keep the ball and start new attacks for his team. He could play in many different midfield positions, including on the right side or in the center. When he was younger, he even played as a central defender.
Life After Football
In January 2010, Tommasi helped start a company in China called 'Tommasi Pretti Seeber Sports Culture & Exchange Co., Ltd (TPS)'. This company helps connect football between Europe and Asia.
On 9 May 2011, he became the president of the Italian Footballers' Association. This organization represents football players in Italy. He held this role until 2020.
Political Career
In October 2021, it was announced that Damiano Tommasi would run for mayor of Verona. He was the candidate for the center-left political group.
On 26 June 2022, Tommasi won the election with over 54% of the votes. He became the new mayor of Verona, taking over from the previous mayor, Federico Sboarina. This was a big win because Verona has traditionally been a city that votes for right-wing politicians.
Personal Life and Charity Work
Damiano Tommasi has been married to Chiara Pigozzi since 1996. They have six children: Beatrice, Camilla, Susanna, Samuele, Emanuele, and Aurora.
He is known for his charity work and is a philanthropist. He helps arrange for money from footballers' fines to go to good causes. His involvement in charity began in 1994 when he chose to do civil service instead of military service, saying he didn't want to serve his country by holding a rifle. For his charity efforts, he received the "Altro-pallone" award in 2000.
Achievements and Awards
Club Honours
- Roma
- Serie A: 2000–01
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2001
- Coppa Italia: Runner-up 2005–06
International Honours
- Italy under-21
Individual Awards
- Pallone d'Argento: 2000–01
- AS Roma Hall of Fame: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Damiano Tommasi para niños
