Luigi Di Biagio facts for kids
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Di Biagio as head coach of Italy U21 in 2013
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Luigi Di Biagio | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 June 1971 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, defender | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Lazio | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Lazio | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Monza | 62 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Foggia | 87 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Roma | 114 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Inter Milan | 117 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Brescia | 93 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | Ascoli | 8 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 482 | (66) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Italy | 31 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Italy U20 | |||||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Italy U21 | |||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Italy (caretaker) | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | SPAL | |||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Dinamo City | |||||||||||||||
| 2025- | Saudi Arabia U23 | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Luigi Di Biagio, born on June 3, 1971, is a famous Italian football manager and former player. He is currently managing the Saudi Arabia U23 team.
Di Biagio was a strong midfielder during his playing days. He played for several big Italian clubs like Roma and Inter Milan. He also played 31 times for the Italian national team between 1998 and 2002. He scored two goals for Italy and played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He also played in Euro 2000, where Italy reached the final.
Contents
Playing Career: A Midfielder's Journey
Starting Out: Lazio, Monza, and Foggia
Luigi Di Biagio started his football journey in Rome. He first played for Lazio in 1988. He made his first appearance in Italy's top league, Serie A, with them. After Lazio, he moved to Monza from 1989 to 1992. There, he won the Coppa Italia C1 in 1991.
He then joined Foggia in 1992. Under coach Zdeněk Zeman, he helped Foggia get promoted back to Serie A. He became a key player in the team's midfield. He was known for defending well and also helping to start attacks.
Time at Roma: Becoming a Star
Di Biagio became very well-known while playing for Roma from 1995 to 1999. He played for five seasons and became a consistent and excellent player. During his time at Roma, he played in European club competitions for the first time.
He helped Roma finish fourth in the league in the 1997–98 season. His great performances made him a regular player for the Italian national team. He played 140 games for Roma and scored 18 goals.
Playing for Inter Milan
In 1999, Di Biagio moved to Inter Milan. He quickly became a regular player because of his high-quality performances. In the 2001–02 season, Inter Milan almost won the Serie A title. They lost it on the very last day of the season to Juventus.
Di Biagio stayed at Inter until 2003. He played 163 games for the club and scored 18 goals. Even though he didn't win a major trophy with Inter, he helped them reach the semi-finals of the 2001–02 UEFA Cup and the Champions League in 2003.
Later Years: Brescia and Ascoli
After Inter, Di Biagio joined Brescia in 2003. He played alongside the legendary Roberto Baggio in the 2003–04 season. He often played as a defender or a defensive midfielder. He scored a personal best of nine goals in Serie A the next year. However, Brescia was relegated to Serie B in 2005.
Di Biagio then signed with Ascoli in 2006. He played his first game for Ascoli in January 2007. He played seven games and scored two goals before retiring at the end of that season. Ascoli was also relegated to Serie B that year.
Throughout his club career, Di Biagio was a very talented midfielder. However, he was unlucky and did not win any major trophies with his clubs, except for the Coppa Italia Serie C1 with Monza.
International Career: Representing Italy
Di Biagio was an important player for the Italian national team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He played 31 games for Italy and scored two goals. He made his first appearance for Italy in 1998 in a friendly match against Slovakia.
1998 FIFA World Cup
After a great season with Roma, Di Biagio played for Italy in the 1998 World Cup. He played in all five of Italy's matches. He scored a goal against Cameroon, which was Italy's 100th goal in World Cup history.
In the quarter-finals against France, the game ended in a 0-0 draw after extra time. The match went to a penalty shootout. Di Biagio took the decisive penalty but unfortunately hit the crossbar. Italy was eliminated from the tournament.
UEFA Euro 2000
Di Biagio continued to be a key player for Italy at Euro 2000. Italy reached the final but lost 2-1 to France in extra time.
He scored Italy's first goal in the tournament against Sweden. In the semi-final penalty shootout against the Netherlands, he successfully scored his penalty. This was his first penalty kick since his miss in the 1998 World Cup.
2002 FIFA World Cup
Di Biagio was also part of Italy's squad for the 2002 World Cup. Italy was knocked out by co-hosts South Korea in the Round of 16. He played in Italy's first game, a 2-0 win against Ecuador. He assisted Italy's second goal in that match.
Playing Style: A Strong Midfielder
Luigi Di Biagio was known as one of Italy's best and most consistent midfielders. He was a strong, tough, and smart defensive midfielder. His main strengths were stopping the other team's attacks. He was also good at running forward to score goals.
He could start attacks with short passes or long balls after winning the ball back. Di Biagio was a hardworking player with good power, stamina, and tactical understanding. He was also surprisingly skilled with the ball. He could control the ball well, see the whole field, and make great passes.
Even though he was a defensive player, he had a powerful shot from far away. He was also good at taking free kicks and penalty kicks. Despite not being very tall, he was excellent at heading the ball. This made him a threat to score goals from set-pieces.
Managerial Career: From Player to Coach
After retiring as a player in 2007, Di Biagio started coaching youth teams. In 2011, he became the coach of Italy's Under-20 team.
In 2013, Luigi Di Biagio became the coach of Italy's Under-21 team. He helped the team qualify for the 2015 Under-21 European Championship. He also led the Under-21 team to the semi-finals of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2017.
In February 2018, Di Biagio was chosen to be the temporary manager for the senior Italian national team for two friendly matches. He managed two games, losing one and drawing one. After these matches, he returned to coach the Under-21 team.
He resigned from the Under-21 team in June 2019. In February 2020, he became the new coach of the Serie A team S.P.A.L.. He left SPAL in August 2020. He later managed Dinamo City in 2023. As of 2025, he is coaching the Saudi Arabia U23 team.
International Goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 June 1998 | Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France |  Cameroon |
1-0 | 3-0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 2 | 19 June 2000 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Sweden |
1-0 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2000 |
Honours and Achievements
Player
Inter Milan
- Serie A runner-up: 2002–03
- Coppa Italia runner-up: 2000
- Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2000
Monza
- Coppa Italia Serie C1: 1990–91
Italy
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000
Italy U23
- Mediterranean Games: 4th place 1993
Individual
- AC Monza Hall of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Luigi Di Biagio para niños
