Damiano Tommasi

Damiano Tommasi
Personal information
Date of birth	May 17, 1974 (1974-05-17) (age 35)
Place of birth	Negrar, Italy
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Tianjin Teda
Number	30
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1991–1996 1996–2006 2006–2008 2008 2009–	Verona AS Roma Levante Queens Park Rangers Tianjin Teda	077 0(4) 262 (14) 044 0(1) 007 0(0) 0029 0(1)
National team2
1994–1996 1998–2003	Italy U21 Italy	004 0(0) 025 0(2)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 November 2009. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 16 November 2003. * Appearances (Goals)

Damiano Tommasi (born May 17, 1974 in Negrar, Province of Verona) is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Tianjin Teda, as a defensive midfielder.

Football career

Tommasi started his career playing for Hellas Verona in Serie B. He made his first division debut on September 7, 1996, with A.S. Roma, a 3–1 win over Piacenza Calcio, and would be an instrumental figure in the capital side's 2001 scudetto conquest.

Tommasi played for the Italian U21s that won the 1996 European Championship, also being picked for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He made his first senior side appearance for the Azzurri on November 18, 1998, against Spain, but did not become a regular until 2001. He played in all four of Italy's matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

During a summer friendly match against Stoke City in 2004, Tommasi suffered a horrible knee injury, caused by Gerry Taggart,^[1][2] and was out of action for a long time. In the summer of 2005 he accepted a one-year contract extension, with youth player wages (€1500 a month) - a contract which, astonishingly, Tommasi instigated himself in the name of fairness.^[3] On October 30, 2005, he finally returned to play, entering on the second-half in place of Olivier Dacourt, during a league match against Ascoli Calcio 1898, being even hailed with a long standing ovation by the Roma supporters.

On November 27, 2005, Tommasi scored after just two minutes, in an eventual 1–1 home tie against ACF Fiorentina,^[4] being an important first team member as Roma finished runner-up.

After 10 years at Roma, in July 2006, Tommasi joined Levante UD,^[5] spending two seasons with the La Liga strugglers, which eventually got relegated in 2007–08.

On September 10, 2008, Tommasi agreed a one-year deal with English second division team Queens Park Rangers.^[6] On Friday, January 9, 2009 his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Tommasi confirmed to be in advanced talks with Chinese League's Tianjin Teda on February 2009, citing an interest in a third experience abroad as the main reason for it.^[7] On the 10th the move was confirmed.

Honours

Club

• Italian League: 2000–01
• Italian Supercup: 2001

Country

• UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship: 1996

Personal

• Married to Chiara, Tommasi has four children: Beatrice, Camilla, Susanna and Samuele.
• A philanthropist, he arranges for footballers' disciplinary fines to go to good causes.
• When first called-up by the national side, Tommasi said he didn't deserve the honour in that moment.^[8]

References

External links

• QPR profile
• Official site (Italian)
• National team data (Italian)
• BDFutbol profile

v • d • e Italy squad – 1996 Summer Olympics 1 Pagliuca • 2 Panucci • 3 Nesta • 4 Cannavaro • 5 Galante • 6 Fresi • 7 Ametrano • 8 Crippa • 9 Branca • 10 Brambilla • 11 Delvecchio • 12 Buffon • 13 Pistone • 14 Tommasi • 15 Pecchia • 16 Morfeo • 17 Lucarelli • 18 Bernardini • 19 Sartor • Coach: Maldini

v • d • e Italy squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Buffon • 2 Panucci • 3 Maldini • 4 Coco • 5 Cannavaro • 6 Zanetti • 7 Del Piero • 8 Gattuso • 9 Inzaghi • 10 Totti • 11 Doni • 12 Abbiati • 13 Nesta • 14 Di Biagio • 15 Iuliano • 16 Di Livio • 17 Tommasi • 18 Delvecchio • 19 Zambrotta • 20 Montella • 21 Vieri • 22 Toldo • 23 Materazzi • Coach: Trapattoni