Matteo Brighi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matteo Brighi

Brighi in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1981-02-14) 14 February 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Rimini, Italy
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Central midfielder
Youth career
1996–1998	Rimini
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–1999	Rimini	10	(1)
1999–2002	Juventus	11	(0)
1999–2000	→ Rimini (loan)	34	(6)
2001–2002	→ Bologna (loan)	32	(0)
2002–2004	Parma	22	(1)
2003–2004	→ Brescia (loan)	29	(1)
2004–2013	Roma	108	(9)
2004–2007	→ Chievo (loan)	89	(9)
2011–2012	→ Atalanta (loan)	11	(0)
2012–2013	→ Torino (loan)	23	(2)
2013–2014	Torino	16	(2)
2014–2015	Sassuolo	31	(0)
2015–2016	Bologna	14	(0)
2016–2018	Perugia	50	(2)
2018–2019	Empoli	24	(2)
Total		504	(35)
National team
2000	Italy U18	3	(0)
2000–2001	Italy U20	5	(0)
2000–2004	Italy U21	35	(2)
2002–2009	Italy	4	(0)
Honours Men's football Representing  Italy UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2004 Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:14, 3 June 2019 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Matteo Brighi (born 14 February 1981) is an Italian former professional football player. He was a central midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field, helping both defense and attack. When he was younger, many people thought he was one of Italy's most promising talents. In 2002, he was even named the best young footballer in Italy's top league, Serie A.

Club Career

Starting at Rimini

Matteo Brighi began his football journey at Rimini in 1998. He played in Serie C2, which is a lower division in Italian football. In his first full season, he played 10 games and scored one goal. The next season, he scored 6 goals in 34 games. He even helped his team in the promotion playoffs, scoring twice.

Playing for Juventus

In 2000, Brighi moved to Juventus, one of Italy's biggest clubs. He wanted to finish high school first, so his move was delayed by a year. During the 2000–01 season, he played 11 league games for Juventus's main team. Even though he was still young enough for their youth team, he got to play with the pros. Juventus finished second in Serie A that year.

In 2001, Brighi was loaned to Bologna for a season. He played so well that he became a regular starter. His great performances made him known as one of Italy's most promising midfielders. This led to him winning the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award in 2002. He played 32 league games for Bologna.

Time at Parma and Brescia

After his loan at Bologna, Brighi returned to Juventus in 2002. He won the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana with Juventus. Soon after, Juventus sold half of his player rights to Parma. His time at Parma was tough because of injuries, which limited how much he could play.

Later, he was loaned to Brescia for the 2003–04 season. There, he found his good form again. He played 29 games and scored one goal for Brescia.

Years with Roma

Loan to Chievo

In 2004, Juventus bought back Brighi's rights and then sold him completely to Roma. Roma then immediately loaned him to Chievo for one season. This loan was extended two more times, meaning he stayed at Chievo for three seasons.

Brighi played in European competitions for Chievo, like the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League qualifiers. In his last season, he was a key part of Chievo's midfield. Even though Chievo was relegated (moved down a league), Brighi's strong performances helped him get a transfer back to Roma. He played a total of 68 games for Chievo and scored 9 goals.

Back at Roma

In 2007, Brighi returned to Roma for the 2007–08 season. He signed a new contract in 2008, keeping him at the club until 2012. He started the 2008–09 season very well with Roma.

The Italian national team manager, Marcello Lippi, who had worked with Brighi before, praised him. Lippi said Brighi was a "splendid boy" and a "diligent midfielder" that any coach would want. Brighi also spoke highly of his Roma coach, Luciano Spalletti. He said Spalletti was the best at managing the team.

Brighi helped Roma have a strong 2009–10 season. The team finished second in Serie A and reached the 2010 Coppa Italia Final. In 2010, Brighi signed another four-year contract with Roma.

Loan to Atalanta

On 31 August 2011, Brighi joined Atalanta on loan. He played 11 league games during the 2011–12 season before returning to Roma.

Playing for Torino

After a trial, Brighi moved to Torino on loan in August 2012. He scored his first goal for Torino on 1 September 2012 against Pescara. He scored his second goal in January 2013 against Siena.

At the end of the season, Brighi went back to Roma. However, he rejoined Torino permanently in July 2013.

Later Career

In January 2014, Brighi moved to Sassuolo. He played his first game for Sassuolo in February. He made seven appearances and helped the club stay in Serie A.

On 20 July 2015, Brighi returned to Bologna. A year later, he signed a two-year deal with Perugia. His contract with Perugia ended in January 2018.

On 24 January 2018, Brighi signed with Empoli. He stayed with the club until June 2018.

International Career

Youth Teams

Matteo Brighi played for Italy's national youth teams. He was part of the Italy under-21 side that reached the semi-finals of the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He also won the 2004 tournament with the team. He helped them qualify for the Olympics that year, but he wasn't chosen for the final squad. In total, he played 35 games for the Italy under-21 team, scoring two goals, and was even the team's captain for a while.

Senior Team

Brighi made his first appearance for the senior Italy team when he was 21 years old. This was in a friendly match against Slovenia on 21 August 2002. After several years, he was called up again by coach Marcello Lippi in March 2009 for World Cup qualification matches.

On 28 March, Brighi came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Montenegro. Four days later, he started in a 1–1 draw with the Republic of Ireland. He was called up again for a friendly match against Northern Ireland in June. Brighi played well, providing good passes. However, he was not chosen for Italy's squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup that summer. In total, he played four games for Italy's senior team between 2002 and 2009.

Style of Play

Matteo Brighi was seen as a very promising young player early in his career. In 2001, he was named one of the top 101 young players in the world. In 2002, he won the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award.

He was a versatile player, meaning he could play in different midfield roles. He could play as a central midfielder or a defensive midfielder. He was known for his excellent technique and passing, which helped his team control the game. Brighi was also a quick and hard-working player with great stamina and tenacity. He was good at chasing down opponents to win the ball. He was also praised for his smart runs into attacking positions, which helped him score goals. His playing style was sometimes compared to famous midfielders like Fernando Redondo.

Personal Life

Matteo is the second of four brothers, and all of them play football. His younger brother, Marco, is also a professional footballer.

Matteo Brighi was the highest-rated player in the FIFA Football 2003 video game, with a rating of 97.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours

Club Achievements

Roma

• Coppa Italia (1): 2008
• Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2007

Juventus

• Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2002

International Achievements

Italy

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship (1): 2004

Individual Awards

• Serie A Young Footballer of the Year (1): 2002

See also

In Spanish: Matteo Brighi para niños