Damiano Tommasi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damiano Tommasi
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mayor of Verona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 29 June 2022 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Federico Sboarina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 May 1974 Negrar, Italy |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Centre-left independent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Footballer, sports manager | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Damiano Tommasi (born 17 May 1974) is a famous Italian former footballer. He is now the mayor of Verona, a city in Italy.
During his football career, he played as a defensive midfielder. He spent ten years playing for Roma, where he helped the team win the Serie A title in 2001. After that, he played for teams in other countries before retiring from professional football at age 37. He played 262 games in Italy's top league, Serie A, and scored 14 goals.
Tommasi also played 25 games for the Italian national team. 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. He was elected Mayor of Verona in the 2022 local elections.
Contents
Club Career: From Verona to the World
Damiano Tommasi was born in Negrar, near Verona. He started his football journey with his local club, Hellas Verona, which played in Italy's second division, Serie B.
He made his first appearance in Italy's top league, Serie A, on 7 September 1996. This was with AS Roma in a 3–1 win against Piacenza. He became a very important player for Roma. His coach, Fabio Capello, even called him the team's most important player. Tommasi was key when Roma won the scudetto (the Serie A title) in 2001.
In 2004, during a friendly game against Stoke City, Tommasi got a very bad knee injury. He was out of action for a long time. In 2005, he agreed to extend his contract with Roma for one year. He famously asked for a very low salary, like a youth player, to show his fairness. He returned to play on 30 October 2005. Roma fans gave him a huge cheer when he came onto the field.
On 27 November 2005, Tommasi scored a goal very early in a game against Fiorentina. He continued to be an important player as Roma finished second in the league that season. After ten years with Roma, he moved to Levante UD in Spain in July 2006. He played there for two seasons.
On 10 September 2008, Tommasi signed a one-year deal with Queens Park Rangers in England. His contract ended in January 2009. Soon after, he signed with Tianjin TEDA in China. He said he wanted to experience playing in a third different country.
After one season 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 came out of retirement almost six years later to play for SP La Fiorita from San Marino. He wanted to experience playing in the UEFA Europa League again. He played in their Europa League matches against FC Vaduz.
International Career: Playing for Italy
Tommasi played for the Italian under-21 team. They won the 1996 UEFA European Championship. He also played in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, making three appearances.
He played his first game for the senior Italian team on 18 November 1998. This was a 2–2 draw against Spain. He became a regular player for Italy in 2001.
Tommasi played a big part in Italy's journey to the 2002 FIFA 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 the game against co-hosts South Korea, he almost scored twice. A controversial decision by the referee disallowed a goal he scored in extra time. Italy then lost the game.
Tommasi played his last game for Italy on 16 November 2003. It was a 1–0 win against Romania. He scored his first goal for Italy on 5 September 2001, in a 1–0 friendly win against Morocco.
How He Played: A Versatile Midfielder
Damiano Tommasi was known as a quick, strong, and hardworking player. He was very good at stopping opponents' attacks and winning the ball back. He had a lot of energy and was a tough tackler.
He also had good technique and could pass the ball well. This helped him keep possession and start new attacks after winning the ball. He was very versatile and could play in many different midfield positions. Early in his career, he often played on the right side of the midfield. He could also play in the center or even in a more attacking role. When he was younger, he even played as a central defender.
Life After Football
In January 2010, Damiano Tommasi started a company in China. It's called Tommasi Pretti Seeber Sports Culture & Exchange Co., Ltd (TPS). The company aims to 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.
He also appeared in a sports documentary in 2024 called Bootay: Untold - The art of losing.
Political Career: From Footballer to Mayor
In October 2021, it was announced that Damiano Tommasi would run for mayor of Verona. He was the candidate for the centre-left group in the 2022 election.
He made it to the second round of voting with about 40% of the votes. On 26 June 2022, Tommasi won the election with over 54% of the votes. He won against the previous mayor, Federico Sboarina, in a city that usually votes for right-wing leaders.
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. He helps make sure that fines paid by footballers go to good causes.
- His involvement in charity began in 1994. Instead of joining the military, he chose to do civil service. He said he "did not want to serve his country by holding a rifle."
- For his charity work, he received the "Altro-pallone" award in 2000.
Honours and Awards
Club Achievements
- Roma
- Serie A: 2000–01 (Winner)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2001 (Winner)
- Coppa Italia: Runner-up 2005–06
International Achievements
- Italy under-21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1996 (Winner)
Individual Awards
- Pallone d'Argento: 2000–01
- AS Roma Hall of Fame: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Damiano Tommasi para niños
