Agostino Di Bartolomei

Infobox Football biography
playername = Agostino Di Bartolomei
fullname = Agostino Di Bartolomei
nickname = |Il Capitano Ago
dateofbirth = birth date|1955|4|8
cityofbirth = Rome
dateofdeath = death date and age|1994|5|30|1955|4|8
countryofbirth = Italy
height = height|meter=1.80
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs = A.S. Roma
years = 1972-1975 1975-1976 1976-1984 1984-1987 1987-1988 1988-1990
clubs = A.S. Roma
→ Lanerossi Vicenza "(loan)"
A.S. Roma
A.C. Milan
A.C. Cesena
Salernitana
caps(goals) = 23 (1) 33 (4) 249 (49) 88 (9) 25 (4) 52 (16)

Agostino Di Bartolomei (April 8, 1955, Rome—May 30, 1994, Castellabate) was an Italian football player, who played as a midfielder. Famed for his elegant playmaking skills, he is regarded as one of A.S. Roma's greatest ever players, and one of the greatest players never to have been capped by the Italian national team.

Biography

Di Bartolomei was born in a peripherical quarter of Rome. He grew as football player in the Garbatella and was recruited in the A.S. Roma junior team as a fourteen year old. He was soon called to play in the first team, making his debut in the Italian Serie A in the 1972-73 season.

In 1975 he went on loan to Lanerossi Vicenza in Serie B to 'build up his bones' (Bruno Conti another future Roma star, was dispatched to Genoa for much the same reason) , returning to Rome in 1976 as one of the unamovable players of the team.

After Nils Liedholm's return as coach of A.S. Roma, Di Bartolomei became the undisputed leader of the team,obtained the title of captain and became a fan favourite. When he played, it was common to hear the Roma fans sing "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Agostino, Ago, Ago, Ago, Agostino gol!!!"

Despite his goalscoring prowess, Roma had two superb playmakers, in Di Bartolomei and the Brazillian Falcão. Liedholm decided, to move Di Bartolomei in front of the defence to 'protect' them, knocking precise passes up the field, while Falcão would assume a more attacking role. During his time at Roma, he won the Coppa Italia three times, and a memorable "scudetto" in 1983. The following season, marked by the penalty shootout defeat in the final (held in Rome) of the European Cup against Liverpool F.C., was his last season with A.S. Roma.

After his exit from Roma, he transferred to A.C. Milan who were in the process of rebuilding after a disastrous period in which they were relegated to the Serie B twice. After leaving Milan after three seasons, his career fizzled out after playing for Cesena and Salernitana. He finally hung up his boots in 1990.

He sadly suffered from clinical depression in his later years, and committed suicide by shooting himself on May 30, 1994, ten years to the day after Roma had lost the European Cup final to Liverpool on penalties.

Honours

* A.S. Roma
** Serie A: 1982-83
** Coppa Italia: 1979-80, 1980-81, 1983-84
** European Cup Runner-up: 1983-1984