Simon Colosimo

Football player infobox
playername= Simon Colosimo
fullname = Simon Colosimo


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|1|8
cityofbirth = Melbourne
countryofbirth = Australia
height = height|m=1.83
currentclub = Sydney FC
clubnumber = 4
position = Central Midfielder
youthyears =
1996–1997
youthclubs = Thomastown
AIS
years = 1997–2000
2000–2001
2001–2002
2001–2002
2002–2003
2003–2004
2004
2005–2008
2007
2008–"present"
clubs = Carlton S.C.
South Melbourne
Manchester City
Royal Antwerp
Perth Glory
Parramatta Power
Pahang FA
Perth Glory
→ Sivasspor "(loan)"
Sydney FC
caps(goals) = 50 (10)
18 0(2)
06 0(0)
00 0(0)
14 0(0)
23 0(1)
50 0(2)
13 0(1)
02 0(0)
nationalyears = 1997–1999
2000
1998–present
nationalteam = Australia U-20
Australia U-23
Australia
nationalcaps(goals) = 15 0(3)
14 0(0)
24 0(3)
pcupdate = 24 August 2008
ntupdate = 23 January 2008

Simon Colosimo (born on January 8, 1979 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays as a central midfielder for Sydney FC.

Club career

Colosimo completed the Australian Institute of Sport football program in 1997 and signed with new National Soccer League club Carlton for their inaugural year. Interest had been shown from Bayern Munich and Panathinaikos to sign Colosimo, but a knee injury sustained while on Socceroos duty kept him out of the game for most of the 1999/00 season, but made his return on 14 March 2000 to score against South Melbourne, who would eventually acquire the midfielder after the demise of the Carlton club.

After a year at Souths he sought a move to Europe and joined English side Manchester City for a season followed by a move to Belgium with Royal Antwerp. Unable to settle, he returned to Australia in 2002 to join Perth Glory in the NSL for a season, then moved to Parramatta Power until the demise of the league in 2004.

Along with a number of Australian players he made a move into Asia in the newly restructured Malaysia Super League at Pahang FA, helping them win the 2004 championship.

He was enticed back to Australia with the relaunch of the A-League returning to Perth Glory signing a three year deal. Colosimo received MVP for Perth Glory for the 2006-07 season.

Colosimo joined Turkish club Sivasspor on a four-month loan during the A-League off-season, and returned to Perth Glory for the start of the A-League 2007-08 season, [citenews|url=http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=88974 |title=Colosimo back in Perth |publisher=SBS |work=The World Game |date=2007-05-24 |accessdate=2008-01-19] and was handed the Perth Glory captaincy. [citenews|url=http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=93190 |title=Colosimo new Perth skipper |publisher=SBS |work=The World Game |date=2007-08-08 |accessdate=2008-01-19]

With his contract at Glory soon to end, Colosimo has been linked with a move to Sydney FC in 2008, receiving a hostile reception from Perth supporters [citenews|url=http://news.theage.com.au/colosimo-not-feeling-the-love-from-perth/20071231-1jm2.html |title=Colosimo not feeling the love from Perth |publisher=The Age |date=2007-12-31 |accessdate=2008-01-19] who let them know he was no longer welcome and was dropped from the starting side for some final matches. [citenews|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league/sydney-on-alert-as-colosimo-left-out-of-perth-win/2008/01/14/1200159286478.html |title=Sydney on alert as Colosimo left out of Perth win |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |date=2008-01-14 |accessdate=2008-01-19] Colosimio has stated that Perth are yet to make an offer and will move interstate if a deal is not forthcoming. [citenews|url=http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=15&ContentID=54947 |title=Colosimo sets deadline for deal |publisher=The West Australian|date=2008-01-18 |accessdate=2008-01-19] The Perth supporters let it known that they were not interested in players who captained the side who were only there for money and were ready to leave as soon as a slightly larger offer came along. Unable to reach a contract agreement, Perth released him from the club on 22 January 2008. [citenews|title=Colosimo, Bertos freed by Glory |url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/68680,colosimo-bertos-freed-by-glory.aspx |publisher=FourFourTwo Australia |date=2008-01-22 |accessdate=2008-01-24]

It has been officially announced by Sydney FC that Colosimo has now signed a two year deal, and he will join the club from the start of the 2008-09 season. [citenews|url=http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=sydfc_news_item&id=21258 |title=Sydney FC signs Simon Colosimo to two year deal |publisher=sydneyfc.com |date=2008-01-27 |accessdate=2008-01-28]

International career

Colosimo first entered the Australian national selection framework at Under-20 level in 1997 while at the AIS. This led quickly to a national team debut in 1998 against Fiji at just 19 years of age. He remained in the national focus, selected as part of the squad at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Later that year he was called up by then Socceroo manager Raul Blanco to make an appearance in the Socceroos friendly against Manchester United on July 18 at the MCG. What started as a spirited game finished in horror for Simon, as Andy Cole lunged into a tackle with his leg raised and studs showing, felling the Australian midfielder in full-flight. [citeweb|url=http://robots.cnnsi.com/soccer/world/news/1999/07/19/colosimo_reaction/ |title=Out of action - Carlton club threatens legal action |date=1999-07-19 |accessdate=2007-08-07] Simon was stretchered off in pain by stewards, and was diagnosed with having sustained tears to his anterior cruciate and medial ligaments, needing a complete knee reconstruction. He underwent surgery soon after, which included his anterior cruciate being replaced with a piece of his hamstring tendon. A long rehabilitation process began, in which Simon would not kick a ball for six months. There was talk at the time of impending legal action against the unsympathetic Cole [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/399044.stm|title=Sport: Football - Cole accused of ego problem|accessdate=2007-08-07] by Carlton's General Manager Lou Sticca, though no formal proceedings were ever entered into.

Following his recovery, he was selected for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and was part of the national team squad for the 2005 Confederations Cup. Colosimo was selected in matches leading up to the Asian Cup 2007, but was not included in the squad for the final tournament although he was named as a standby reserve.

Personal life

Colosimo is of Italian descent

Simon and his wife Bianca and have a child called James, who was born 2 years ago.

He is first cousin to Australian actor Vince Colosimo.Fact|date=April 2008

Honours

With Australia:
* OFC Nations Cup: 2000, 2004With Perth Glory:
* NSL Championship: 2002-2003Personal Honours:
* Joe Marston Medal: 2002-2003 with Perth Glory
* Perth Glory Most Glorious Player Award: 2006-2007

References

External links

* [http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=sydfc_playerprofile_item&pid=78 Sydney FC profile]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/C/CO.html Oz Football profile]