Matteo Darmian facts for kids
Darmian with Italy in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Matteo Darmian | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 December 1989 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Legnano, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Full-back, centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Inter Milan | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 36 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | AC Milan | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | AC Milan | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | → Padova (loan) | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Palermo | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Torino | 133 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Manchester United | 60 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Parma | 36 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | → Inter Milan (loan) | 26 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2021– | Inter Milan | 118 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Italy U17 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Italy U18 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Italy U19 | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Italy U20 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Italy U21 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014– | Italy | 46 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 June 2024 |
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Matteo Darmian, born on December 2, 1989, is an Italian professional footballer. He plays as a full-back or centre-back for Inter Milan and the Italian national team.
He started his career at AC Milan, playing his first senior game in 2006 when he was 16. He made his Serie A debut in 2007 at age 17. In 2009, he joined Padova on loan. He helped them stay in Serie B during his one season there.
After that, he signed with Palermo in 2010. A year later, he moved to Torino, where he played for four seasons. In July 2015, he joined Manchester United. During his four years there, he won the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
He then moved to Parma in 2019. In October 2020, he joined Inter Milan on a loan deal. This move became permanent in February 2021. That season, Darmian won the Serie A title, which was his first league championship.
Darmian first played for the Italian national team in May 2014. He has represented Italy in major tournaments like the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, and Euro 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Matteo Darmian grew up playing football in the main square of Rescaldina, Italy. His father, Giovanni, was one of his first coaches. He played for a local team called US CARCOR. Other famous players like Marco Simone also played there.
When he was young, Matteo often played as a central or defensive midfielder. His big chance came when Beniamino Abate noticed him. Abate was a former goalkeeper who looked for young talent for AC Milan.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at AC Milan
In 2000, Darmian joined AC Milan's youth system. He played his first game for the senior team on November 28, 2006. He was only 16 years old. This game was in the Coppa Italia against Brescia.
He made his Serie A debut on May 19, 2007, at age 17. This was in a match against Udinese. In the 2007–08 season, he became the captain of the youth team. He also played one more game for the first team in the Coppa Italia. He played a total of four top-flight games for Milan.
Loan to Padova
On July 17, 2009, Darmian went on loan to Serie B club Padova. He stayed there until the end of the 2009–10 season. He played his first game for Padova on November 28, 2009. He played 20 games and scored one goal. He helped Padova avoid being relegated from Serie B.
Playing for Palermo
On July 11, 2010, Matteo Darmian joined Palermo. This was a co-ownership deal with Milan. He made his debut for Palermo on September 16, 2010. This was in a Europa League game against Sparta Prague. This was also his first game in a European competition.
His first league game for Palermo was against Juventus. He played 16 games in total that season. These included games in Serie A, Europa League, and Coppa Italia.
Time at Torino
After Palermo and Milan renewed their co-ownership, Darmian was loaned to Serie B team Torino on July 12, 2011. He played his first game for Torino on August 13, 2011. He scored his first goal on October 30, 2011, against Empoli. This goal helped his team win 2–1.
At the end of the season, Torino was promoted to Serie A. Darmian played 33 league games and one Coppa Italia game. On July 5, 2012, he returned to Torino under a new co-ownership deal. He played 30 games in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia. On June 20, 2013, Torino bought the rest of his contract from Palermo.
In the 2013–14 season, he played 37 games in Serie A. Torino finished 7th and qualified for the Europa League. He was named in the Serie A Team of the Year. On May 18, 2014, he played his 100th game for Torino.
In the 2014–15 season, he scored his first European goal. This was on August 7, 2014, in a 4–0 win against IF Brommapojkarna. He scored his first Serie A goal on October 29, 2014, against Parma. He also scored in the Europa League group stage against Copenhagen. On February 26, 2015, he scored the winning goal against Athletic Bilbao. This helped Torino reach the round of 16. He finished the season with 47 games and five goals. In total, he played 151 matches and scored six goals for Torino.
Moving to Manchester United
2015–16 Season Success
On July 11, 2015, Darmian joined English club Manchester United. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for the club on July 17 during preseason. His Premier League debut was on August 8, 2015, against Tottenham Hotspur. His manager, Louis van Gaal, said it was the best performance of the match.
In September, Darmian was voted Manchester United's Player of the Month for August 2015. He thanked the fans and his teammates for making him feel welcome. In April 2016, Darmian scored his only Premier League goal for Manchester United. It was a powerful volley against Crystal Palace. He was named man of the match for this game. He also helped force an own goal from an opponent. Darmian played in the 2016 FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace. United won 2–1.
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2016–17 Season and Europa League Win
Darmian's first game of the 2016–17 season was on September 15, 2016. It was a 1–0 loss against Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League group stage. He played in all of United's Premier League games in November. He played as a left-back against Swansea City, Arsenal, and West Ham United.
On January 10, 2017, he played in a 2–0 win against Hull City in the EFL Cup semi-final. He helped set up the second goal. He also played in the second leg, helping United reach the final. In May 2017, Darmian played in both UEFA Europa League semi-final games against Celta Vigo. United won and went to the final. On May 24, Darmian started in the UEFA Europa League Final against Ajax. United won 2–0.
2017–18 and 2018–19 Seasons
Darmian's first game of the 2017–18 season was on August 8, 2017, against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup. United lost 2–1. His first Premier League game was on September 9. He also played in the UEFA Champions League against Benfica and Basel. He played in United's last league game of the season on May 13, a 1–0 win over Watford. He was on the bench for the 2018 FA Cup Final. He played only eight league games that season.
For the 2018–19 season, Darmian stayed with Manchester United. He started United's first game on August 11. On January 5, 2019, he played as a centre-back in an FA Cup third round win. The manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, praised his performance.
Return to Italy with Parma
On September 2, 2019, Darmian returned to Italy. He signed a four-year deal with Parma. He played as Parma's main right-back. He played 36 league games for Parma, scoring one goal and assisting another. He scored the first goal in a 2-1 win against Brescia on July 25, 2020.
Joining Inter Milan
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On October 5, 2020, Darmian joined Inter Milan on a loan deal for the season. Inter later made the transfer permanent. On December 30, 2023, Darmian extended his contract with Inter Milan until June 30, 2025.
International Career for Italy
Matteo Darmian played for Italy's youth teams, including under-17 and under-18. He made his debut for the under-19 squad in June 2007. In 2009, he played seven games for the under-20 team in the Mediterranean Games. On March 25, 2009, he played his first game for the Italy under-21 team.
In 2014, he was called up to the senior national team by coach Cesare Prandelli. This was to evaluate young players for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He made his debut for the senior team on May 31, 2014, at age 24. This was in a friendly match against Ireland. The next day, he was chosen for the 23-player squad for the 2014 World Cup.
On June 14, 2014, he played his first World Cup game against England. Italy won 2–1. He also played in the next two games against Costa Rica and Uruguay. Italy did not make it to the next round.
In early 2015, he won the Pallone Azzurro award. This award is for the best player of the national team in 2014. On October 10, 2015, he scored his first international goal. This goal helped Italy qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. On May 31, 2016, he was named in Italy's squad for Euro 2016. In the tournament, he helped set up a goal against Spain. On July 2, 2016, he missed Italy's final penalty in a shootout against Germany. This meant Italy lost in the quarter-finals. After a long break, he returned to the Italy team in 2023. He scored against North Macedonia in November 2023.
Playing Style
Matteo Darmian started his career as a centre-back. He has also played as a central or defensive midfielder in his youth. However, he mostly plays as a full-back or wing-back. Sometimes, he even plays as a winger. He can play on both sides of the field, but he prefers the right side.
He is known for being smart, energetic, and hard-working. He is good at both attacking and defending. He also has good tactical awareness, speed, and stamina. These skills help him cover the wing well and support his team's attacks. Because of his consistent performances, he has been compared to famous Italian full-backs like Antonio Cabrini and Paolo Maldini. In the 2012–13 season, Darmian made the most tackles per game (5.3) among Europe's top five leagues.
Career Achievements
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2015–16
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2020–21, 2023–24
- Coppa Italia: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2021, 2022, 2023
Individual Awards
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Pallone Azzurro: 2014 (Best Italian National Team Player)
See also
In Spanish: Matteo Darmian para niños
