Damiano Tommasi (Roma)

**Mayo Red** · 14/12/2005, 6:20 PM

The following makes a refreshing change to the norm where players like Rio Ferdinand hold out on signing a contract because they want even more than �100,000 per week!

Tommasi Gets Papal Blessing
Damiano Tommasi has become a hero on and off the pitch for asking his team to pay him minimum wage only!

While some of his team-mates at Roma earn millions, Tommasi has requested a salary of just �1,500 (�1,013) a month.

After being out of the game for months with a knee injury, the 31-year-old player said he simply wanted to return to playing football and economic considerations were low on his list of priorities. A modest salary was enough for his needs, he said, and he was still earning more than many ordinary Italians.

His gesture has led to him being lionised in football-mad Italy, with even the Vatican's official mouthpiece L'Osservatore Romano congratulating him. The player said he had signed on at the minimum salary for the rest of the season 'because I love football'.

Contract Bridge
Tommasi�s contract recently expired and with the club going through financial difficulties they could not afford to offer another without being sure he had completely recovered.

In an amazing show of loyalty to the Giallorossi, the midfielder decided to make things easier by requesting an unimaginably low salary for a top-flight footballer of �1,500.

"I did it because I love Roma and football," Tommasi confirmed. The player from Negrar, a small village in the Verona region, was already considered extraordinary by football's standards because of his extensive charity work, but this was without precedent.

Taken from www.precision-goalkeeping.com

See also http://www.channel4.com/sport/footba...spotlight.html

**gustavo** · 14/12/2005, 6:31 PM

Cassano should take a leaf out of his book

**hamish** · 14/12/2005, 6:47 PM

Oh that's right, read about this chap in the Observer a few weeks ago. Class bloke.

This is his website for what it's worth.

Anyone speak Italian?

http://www.damianotommasi.it/home.asp

There are loads of pics there.

http://www.asroma-addict.com/en/prof...si/tommasi.htm

**Dodge** · 14/12/2005, 7:03 PM

Apparently he usually donated half his salary to various charities.

**Risteard** · 14/12/2005, 8:28 PM

Would have been able to command a very high salary aswell.
Is he still on the Italian panels?

**Dodge** · 14/12/2005, 10:31 PM

Certainly was before his injury yeah.

**Closed Account 2** · 14/12/2005, 10:46 PM

Gerry Taggart nearly crippled him in a pre-season friendly Roma V Stoke (played in Austria) a few summers ago. Prior to that he was the best Italian defensive midfielder, but even if he fully recovers now its hard to see him taking his place back off Gattuso.

A great player who was part of the spine of the Scudetto-winning Roma team of 2000-2001. A superb team that contained the likes of Totti, Emerson, Batistuta, Samuel, Cafu, Aldair*, Nakata - all great players at the very top of their game. Will Italian football ever see such an attacking team win the Scudetto again ?

* well maybe Aldair peaked a couple of years earlier

**gustavo** · 14/12/2005, 10:49 PM

doubt he would even get his Roma place back off De Rossi now too

**Kingdom** · 14/12/2005, 11:15 PM

I had wondered what had happened to him alright. He was a class player, dominated matches to the same extent as Keane. Probably didn't get the credit he deserved either. Regardless, he's still a class human being.

**twoenz** · 15/12/2005, 1:09 AM

Fair play to him.

Didn't Redondo hand back the first year of his AC Milan salary as he was injured the whole season?

**Hulsey** · 15/12/2005, 11:49 AM

Not many like him in the game today. Nice to hear of a top footballer doing something good for a change

**deadman** · 15/12/2005, 2:05 PM

fair play n all

but he'd be better off collecting the cash and then giving it all to charity

**Mayo Red** · 15/12/2005, 2:16 PM

Originally Posted by Risteard

Would have been able to command a very high salary aswell.
Is he still on the Italian panels?

He played in all of Italys games in the 2002 World Cup, but was dropped by Giovanni Trapattoni in 2003 and missed out on Euro 2004. Unfortunatly he hasn't featured for the national side since.

He's a real gentleman alright, my cousin is friends with one of his mates and he got him to autograph an Italy jersey for me so I've followed his career ever since, and it's great to see him back after having his knee shattered so badly.