- Matteo Brighi
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Matteo Brighi Personal information Date of birth February 14, 1981 Place of birth Rimini, Italy Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Playing position Midfielder Club information Current club Atalanta Number 33 Youth career 1997–1998 Rimini Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1998–2000 Rimini 44 (7) 2000–2002 Juventus 11 (0) 2001–2002 → Bologna (loan) 32 (0) 2002–2004 Parma 22 (1) 2003–2004 → Brescia (loan) 29 (1) 2004– Roma 83 (8) 2004–2007 → Chievo (loan) 108 (9) 2011– → Atalanta (loan) 5 (0) National team‡ 2000 Italy U-18 3 (0) 2000–2001 Italy U-20 5 (0) 2000–2004 Italy U-21 35 (2) 2002–2009 Italy 4 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 16, 2010.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of June 6, 2009Matteo Brighi (born February 14, 1981 in Rimini, Rimini, Italy) is an Italian football player. He currently plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Atalanta. Brighi was named Serie A Young Footballer of the Year in 2002. Brighi is noted for his stamina, tackling, and aerial abilities.
Contents
Club career
Brighi started his career at Rimini. In 2000, he was purchased by Juventus.
Parma
In 2002, 50% of the registration rights to Matteo Brighi were sold to A.C. Parma by Juventus F.C. as part of the deal which saw Marco Di Vaio to Juventus. The transfer was worth €5 million at the time.[1]
Chievo
In 2004, Juventus bought back Brighi's rights for a €11.5 million[2] and sold them to Roma as part of the deal for Emerson worth €16 million.[3] He signed a 5-year contract worth €0.93 million in gross annually.
However Brighi was then immediately sent on loan to Chievo for three seasons.[4] That season Roma also signed central midfielder Simone Perrotta from the Verona side. Chievo had to pay Roma per appearances of Brighi, which each 5 appearances worth €80,000.[5] He played for Chievo at the UEFA Champions League 2006–07 third qualifying round and twice at UEFA Cup 2006–07 first round. In his last season, he formed the midfield line with Paolo Sammarco and Franco Semioli for over 20 matches. Although Chievo relegated in June, their performance earned each a transfer to a different club.
Roma
In 2007, returned to Roma. On 25 July 2008, he signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until June 2012. His annual gross salary was increased. He at first earned €1.3M in 2008–09. This will increase to €1.6M in 2011–12.[6]
Brighi has played in recent seasons on the left-centre in a 3-man midfield next to Daniele De Rossi. Brighi was previously used by Roma behind De Rossi as a defensive midfielder. Brighi helped Roma to a strong 2009-10 season. The team finished second in Serie A, just behind champions Inter Milan.
In a 20 November 2008 interview with La Repubblica, Brighi called Luciano Spalletti “the best I’ve ever had in terms of managing the group, and I’ve had some great ones like Guidolin and Prandelli.” Around the same time he told Sky Italia, “I like to work, not talk. Other players talk and sell themselves, certainly better than I do. I don’t blame them for it. It’s just not me." In the same interview, he was asked who his favourite players were growing up and who he admires in football. "As a boy I loved Roberto Mancini when he was at Sampdoria, even though he played in a different position than I do. Now, as everyone knows, Damiano Tommasi inspires me. It's an honour to be compared to a great player and a great person like him." Tommasi has said of Brighi: “He’s more talented than I am, I just got the chance to play in a great team and win something special. I hope Matteo gets the same chance.”
On 9 November 2008, Italian National Team Manager Marcello Lippi, who worked with Brighi at Juventus, was quoted in Rome newspaper Il Romanista as saying, "My memories of Brighi are optimal. From the human point of view he is a splendid boy, and from the technical point of view he is one of those diligent midfielders that every trainer would want to have. To my warning, at the beginning of his career, he was praised so excessively that too many expectations were created around him."
In September 2010, he signed a 4-year contract, in which his annual salary increased to €1.8 million in 2010–11 Serie A season and to €2.3M in the next three seasons.[7]
In August 2011, he joined Atalanta on loan.
International career
At youth level, he played at 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, formed the midfield with Manuele Blasi, Andrea Pirlo and Marco Marchionni. He also won the 2004 edition and qualified to Olympics.
Brighi's debut for Italy came when he started the friendly match against Slovenia in 2002, when he was 21. However, he has been called up once again by Coach Marcello Lippi for 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Montenegro and the Republic of Ireland in 2009. On March 28, 2009, Brighi was put on as a substitute in the 80th minute against Montenegro, playing for his first time since 2002. Four days later, he was chosen for the starting selection in Italy's draw with Ireland.
Brighi was called up again to play in Italy's pre-Confederations Cup friendly against Northern Ireland. Brighi came on as a second half substitute for Gennaro Gattuso, and provided many spectacular passes, one of which lead to a goal. Although Brighi played magnificently, he was not selected in Italy's 23-man roster for the Confederations Cup.
Statistics
Club performance League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total 1998/99 Rimini Calcio Serie C2 10 1 - 10 1 1999/00 34 6 - 34 6 2000/01 Juventus Serie A 11 0 1 0 - 12 0 2001/02 Bologna Serie A 32 0 1 0 - 33 0 2002/03 Parma Serie A 22 1 0 0 3 0 25 1 2003/04 Brescia Serie A 29 1 2 0 - 31 1 2004/05 Chievo Verona Serie A 35 1 1 0 - 36 1 2005/06 26 2 0 0 - 26 2 2006/07 27 6 1 0 3 0 31 6 2007/08 Roma Serie A 24 1 5 0 2 0 31 1 2008/09 35 3 2 0 7 3 44 6 2009/10 Roma Serie A 24 4 2 1 4 0 30 5 2010/11 Country Italy 309 26 15 1 19 3 343 30 Total 309 26 15 1 19 3 343 30 Italy national team Year Apps Goals 2002 1 0 2003 0 0 2004 0 0 2005 0 0 2006 0 0 2007 0 0 2008 0 0 2009 3 0 Total 4 0 Personal life
Brighi gave perhaps his most revealing interview to website romanews.eu on 13 January 2009. He discussed many topics, including the pressures today's footballer's face and their bad decisions off the field, his admiration for Gennaro Gattuso ("My reference as a player, he's won the World Cup and many trophies with Milan"), making it a priority to not live a lifestyle of excess in the current economic crisis as people lose their jobs daily, his hobbies ("dinners with friends, cinema, concerts, novels"), when he realized his life had changed as a Roma player ("I've been here a year, but two months ago my life was different. Nobody stopped me on the street and said, 'Matteo, you are a phenomenon!'"), his best friends at the club ("Tonetto and Perrotta, two people who know how to detach from football, but I often eat meals with Aquilani, De Rossi and Okaka"), being single but dreaming of starting a family one day, the fact that he does not see himself as unique ("I'm not the only player that goes home and reads a book instead of going to a disco all night"), and above all his intention to end his career playing for Rimini ("When I went away, I promised I would go back one day. And that day will come").
His younger brother Marco is also a professional footballer.
References
- ^ Juventus F.C.: Agreements with Parma A.C.PDF (Italian)) Juventus.com 30 August 2002
- ^ Reports and Financial Statements (In PDF file) Juventus.com 30 June 2004
- ^ "Agreements with A.S. Roma S.p.A.". Juventus FC. 2004-07-31. http://www.juventus.com/site/filesite/finance/comunicatipricesensitive/31_lug_2004_eng.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-14.[dead link]
- ^ Roma pair go out on loan UEFA.com 16 August 2004
- ^ "APPROVAZIONE SITUAZIONE MENSILE AL 31 LUGLIO 2004" (in Italian) (PDF (88.54 KB)). AS Roma. 31 August 2004. http://109.75.174.100/~asroma/downloads/corporate_investor/1287732216.pdf. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ "PROLUNGATO IL CONTRATTO ECONOMICO PER LE PRESTAZIONI SPORTIVE DEL CALCIATORE MATTEO BRIGHI" (in Italian) (PDF). AS Roma. 25 July 2008. http://www.asroma.it/NewsDoc.aspx?Categoria=ITComunicatiFinanziari&Documento=9234. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ "Prolungato il contratto economico per le prestazioni sportive del calciatore Matteo Brighi" (in Italian) (PDF). AS Roma. 7 September 2010. http://www.asroma.it/NewsDoc.aspx?Categoria=ITComunicatiFinanziari&Documento=11845. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=11141
• 2 Bonera • 3 Bellini • 4 Ferrari • 5 Cannavaro • 6 Donati • 7 Marchionni • 8 Brighi • 9 Maccarone • 10 Pirlo • 11 Bonazzoli • 12 Spadavecchia • 13 Castellini • 14 Dainelli • 15 Lucchini • 16 Natali • 17 Blasi • 18 Gatti • 19 Pinzi • 20 Caracciolo • 21 Iaquinta • 22 Pelizzoli • Coach: Gentile
Italy squad – 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Winners (5th Title) Atalanta B.C. – current squad 3 Lucchini · 4 Capelli · 5 Manfredini · 6 Bellini · 7 Schelotto · 10 Bonaventura · 11 Moralez · 13 Peluso · 17 Carmona · 19 Denis · 21 Cigarini · 22 Padoin · 23 Pettinari · 25 Masiello · 26 Caserta · 27 Doni · 28 Gabbiadini · 30 Facheris · 32 Ferri · 33 Brighi · 47 Consigli · 63 Ardemagni · 77 Raimondi · 78 Frezzolini · 79 Ferreira Pinto · 88 Minotti · 89 Marilungo · 90 Tiribocchi · Head coach: Colantuono
Categories:- Italian footballers
- Italy international footballers
- Italy under-21 international footballers
- Juventus F.C. players
- Bologna F.C. 1909 players
- Parma F.C. players
- Brescia Calcio players
- A.C. ChievoVerona players
- A.S. Roma players
- Atalanta B.C. players
- Serie A footballers
- People from Rimini
- 1981 births
- Living people
- Rimini Calcio F.C. players
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