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 (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
2000	Italy U18	3	(0)
2000–2001	Italy U20	5	(0)
2000–2004	Italy U21	35	(2)
2002–2009	Italy	4	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Italy UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2004 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:14, 3 June 2019 (UTC)

Matteo Brighi (born on February 14, 1981) is a former Italian professional football player. He played as a central midfielder, which means he helped control the game from the middle of the field. He was known for both defending and attacking.

Early in his career, Matteo was seen as one of Italy's most promising young talents. In 2002, he was even named the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year.

Matteo Brighi's Football Journey

Starting Out at Rimini

Matteo Brighi began his professional football journey at Rimini in 1998. This team played in Serie C2, which is one of Italy's lower football leagues. In his first full season, he played ten league games and scored one goal. The next season, he scored 6 goals in 34 league appearances. He also helped his team in the promotion playoffs, scoring twice.

Playing for Juventus

In the summer of 2000, Brighi moved to Juventus, a very famous Italian club. Juventus had actually bought him a year earlier, but Matteo wanted to finish high school first.

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 season.

In 2001, Brighi was loaned to Bologna for a season. He played really well there and became a regular starter. His great performances helped him win the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year Award in 2002. He played 32 league games for Bologna that season.

Time at Parma and Brescia

After his loan at Bologna, Brighi returned to Juventus in 2002. He even 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 meant he didn't play as much. In 2003, he was loaned to Brescia. There, he found his good form again, playing 29 games and scoring one goal.

Years with Roma

Loan to Chievo

In 2004, Juventus bought back Brighi's player rights and then sold him completely to Roma. Roma then immediately loaned him to Chievo for a season. This loan was extended for two more years.

Brighi played for Chievo in European competitions like the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League qualifiers and the 2006–07 UEFA Cup. He played many games for Chievo, scoring 9 goals in total. Even though Chievo was relegated in his last season, his strong performances helped him get a transfer back to Roma.

Returning to Roma

In 2007, Brighi came back to Roma for the 2007–08 season. In 2008, he signed a new contract to stay with the club until 2012.

He had a fantastic start to the 2008–09 season with Roma. Even the Italian national team coach, Marcello Lippi, praised him, calling him a "splendid boy" and a "diligent midfielder that every trainer would want to have."

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

Loan to Atalanta

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

Later Career

After a short trial, Brighi moved to Torino on loan in August 2012. He scored his first goal for Torino in September 2012. He scored another goal in January 2013.

At the end of that season, he returned to Roma, but then rejoined Torino permanently in July 2013.

In January 2014, he moved to Sassuolo. He played seven games for Sassuolo, helping the club avoid being relegated to Serie B.

On July 20, 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 January 24, 2018, Brighi signed with Empoli, where he played until June 2018. He continued to play for Empoli in the 2018–19 season.

Playing for Italy

Youth National Teams

Matteo Brighi played for the Italy under-21 team. He was part of the team that reached the semi-finals of the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He also helped Italy win the 2004 tournament. He played 35 games for the Italy under-21 team, scoring two goals, and was even the team's captain for a while.

Senior National Team

Brighi made his first appearance for the senior Italian team when he was 21 years old. This was in a friendly game against Slovenia on August 21, 2002.

After several years, he was called up again by coach Marcello Lippi in March 2009 for World Cup qualification matches. On March 28, he came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Montenegro. Four days later, he started in a 1–1 draw against the Republic of Ireland.

Brighi was also called up for a friendly game against Northern Ireland in June 2009. He played well, providing passes that led to a goal in Italy's 3–0 win. However, he was not chosen for Italy's squad for the Confederations Cup that summer. In total, he played four games for the senior Italian team between 2002 and 2009.

How Matteo Brighi Played

Matteo Brighi was seen as a very promising young player early in his career. In 2001, he was even 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 very flexible player who could play in different midfield roles. He was known for his excellent technique and passing, which helped his team control the game. Brighi was also a fast and hard-working player, known for his stamina, speed, and strong tackling. He was good at chasing down opponents to win the ball back. He also made smart runs forward to get into good positions to score goals. Because of his skills, he 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 was the highest-rated player in the FIFA Football 2003 video game, with a rating of 97.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Achievements

Club Trophies

Roma

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

Juventus

• Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2002

International Trophies

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