_-_2.jpg) Diamanti withItaly in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alessandro Diamanti[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1983-05-02)2 May 1983 (age 41) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Prato, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Prato | 23 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | →Empoli (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | → Fucecchio (loan) | 24 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | →Fiorentina (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | AlbinoLeffe | 26 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | →Prato (loan) | 11 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Prato | 25 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Livorno | 59 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | West Ham United | 28 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Brescia | 32 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Bologna | 83 | (19) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 24 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | →Fiorentina (loan) | 11 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Watford (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | →Atalanta (loan) | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Palermo | 31 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Perugia | 13 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Livorno | 32 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Western United | 82 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 526 | (101) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Italy | 17 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Melbourne City FC Youth | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Alessandro Diamanti (Italian pronunciation:[alesˈsandrodjaˈmanti,–di.a-];[2][3] born 2 May 1983) is an Italian professionalfootball coach and formermidfielder who is the manager forMelbourne City Youth.
In a professional career spanning 24 years, he has played forPrato,Empoli, Fucecchio,Fiorentina,AlbinoLeffe,West Ham United,Brescia,Bologna,Guangzhou Evergrande,Watford,Atalanta,Palermo,Perugia,Livorno, andWestern United. At the international level, he representedItaly atUEFA Euro 2012, winning a runners-up medal, and at the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, winning a bronze medal.
Diamanti took up his first coaching position in 2023, assenior academy manager at Australian clubMelbourne City, leading theNPL2 team and assisting the first team coaching staff as required.[4]
Diamanti spent his early career withPrato,Empoli,Florentia andAlbinoLeffe.
Having scored 15 goals in 31 outings during the 2006–07 season, Diamanti signed forSerie A sideLivorno.[5] He made 14 starts and 12 substitute appearances in his first season with the Tuscany side.[6] He stayed with Livorno when they were relegated toSerie B due to finishing last in the2007–08 Serie A.
On 23 August 2009, Diamanti played in Livorno's opening day fixture in Serie A, a 0–0 home draw againstCagliari.[7]
The following week, however, Diamanti signed a five-year deal withPremier League clubWest Ham United for an undisclosed fee.[8] He made his debut inthe Hammers' 1–0 defeat away toWigan Athletic on 12 September. In the process, Diamanti became the 800th player in West Ham United's history.[9] He scored his first West Ham goal from the penalty spot, albeit controversially as he fell over on run up and kicked the ball with both feet, on his home debut againstLiverpool on 19 September 2009.[10] Diamanti scored eight goals, though only three came from open play with most coming from penalty kicks. On 4 May 2010, he was voted runner-up as Hammer of the Year by the club's supporters, for the2009–10 season, behind winnerScott Parker.[11]
On 24 August 2010, Serie A clubBrescia bought Diamanti for €2.2 million from West Ham with an additional €300,000 to be paid if Brescia secured their Serie A status for the coming campaign.[12] Brescia also announced in its financial report that Diamanti had cost the club €3.85 million.[13]
Alessandro was unveiled at Brescia on 25 August 2010 and chose to continue wearing the number 32 shirt.[14] Due to his popularity, ability and playing style, comparisons were drawn between Diamanti and former club iconRoberto Baggio, which Diamanti played down, however.[15] In his debut season at Brescia, Diamanti scored sixSerie A goals, behind onlyAndrea Caracciolo as the club's top scorer for the domestic season. Diamanti's sixth goal came in a 2–1 loss againstCatania which confirmed Brescia's relegation to Serie B, just one season after promotion to the top-flight.[16]
In July 2011, West Ham called for Diamanti's registration at Brescia to be suspended by theItalian Football Federation (FIGC) claiming the latest instalment of his €2.2 million transfer fee from Brescia had not yet been paid.[17][18]
On 1 August 2011, Diamanti was signed by Serie A sideBologna in a co-ownership deal with Brescia, for €1.5 million.[19][20][21] Diamanti's first goal for the club came in a 3–1 home defeat toInternazionale on 24 September.[22] On 11 December, Bologna played host to Inter'scross–city rivalsMilan; Diamanti played inspired football and provided an assist forMarco Di Vaio's opening goal and then netted a 73rd-minute goal to earn his side a 2–2 draw.[23]
Diamanti scored the winning goal of a 3–1 away victory overLazio on 11 March 2012 with a 30-yard strike over out-of-position goalkeeperFederico Marchetti.[24] On 12 April, Diamanti scored an incredible free-kick againstCagliari to move his side up to 40 points and six points clear of the relegation zone.[25]
On 16 September 2012, Diamanti scored in between strikes fromAlberto Gilardino to help Bologna to a 3–2 comeback victory overRoma at theStadio Olimpico.[26] Diamanti put the finishing touches on a comfortable 3–0 defeat ofPalermo on 18 November, netting from the penalty spot in the 48th minute.[27]
On 2 December, Diamanti netted from a free-kick as Bologna earned a hard-fought 2–1 victory overAtalanta, courtesy of a second-half goal from teammateManolo Gabbiadini.[28] Two weeks later, on 16 December, Diamanti proved instrumental in Bologna's surprise 3–2 defeat of high-flyingNapoli, providing the free-kick from whichDaniele Portanova headed in a minute from time to secure the victory.[29]
During the 2012–13 Serie A season, Diamanti was the most fouled player in Serie A, having been fouled 147 times.[30]
On 7 February 2014, Bologna andGuangzhou Evergrande officially announced an agreement over transferring Diamanti to Guangzhou Evergrande with a transfer fee of €6.9 million.[31] He made his debut appearance for Guangzhou in a 4–2 win overMelbourne Victory on 26 February 2014 in the first group match of the2014 Asian Champions League. He scored twice to change the course of the match after Guangzhou lagged 2–0 in the first half.[32] He made his CSL debut at the CSL's opening match atTianhe Stadium on 8 March 2014; he did not score a goal, and was substituted off the pitch in the 67th minute.
On 10 January 2015, Diamanti moved toFiorentina on loan from Guangzhou Evergrande.[33] He scored his first goal for the club on 8 February in a 3–2 win over Atalanta.[34]
On 17 August 2015, Diamanti signed for English Premier League clubWatford, on loan from Guangzhou Evergrande, subject to international clearance.[35][36]
On 13 January 2016, Diamanti signed a season-long loan with Atalanta.[37] He scored his first goal for the club on 20 March in a 2–0 win over former club Bologna.[38]
On 29 August 2016,free agent Diamanti joined Palermo on a two-year deal.[39] After the club's relegation at the end of the2016–17 Serie A season, however, he cancelled his contract with the club on 31 August 2017.[40]
On 24 July 2019, Diamanti joined newA-League clubWestern United on a one-year marquee deal.[41][42] Diamanti was also named as the club's inaugural captain ahead of the2019–20 A-League season.[43] At the end of the season, he won theJohnny Warren Medal as the best player of the year.[44] He missed the second half of the 2021/22 season due to a knee injury, watching from the stands as his side won the A-League championship in their first Grand Final appearance.
On 24 April 2023, Diamanti officially announced his retirement from professional football via anInstagram post, as he was set to play his last game for Western United on 29 April, in the final match of theleague's regular season againstPerth Glory.[45][46] He left the club to become a coach at crosstown rivals Melbourne City.[4]
Diamanti made his debut with theItaly national team on 17 November 2010, for managerCesare Prandelli, in a friendly match againstRomania.[47] He played only the first half of his debut game before being substituted.[48] In May 2012, he was named in the provisional, 32-man Italian squad forUEFA Euro 2012[49] and came on as a substitute in the final group match against theRepublic of Ireland on 18 June 2012, setting upMario Balotelli's goal from a corner as Italy won the match 2–0 to advance to the quarter-finals.[50] In the quarter-final againstEngland on 24 June 2012, Diamanti came on in the second half forAntonio Cassano and scored the winningpenalty to give Italy a 4–2penalty shoot-out win.[51]
Diamanti was selected for Italy's squad at the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil.[52] He scored one goal at the tournament, from a free kick in the bronze medal game againstUruguay, his first international goal; he was also involved inDavide Astori's opening goal, as the latter scored off the rebound after Diamanti's free kick had hit the crossbar. Italy went on to win the match 3–2 on penalties following a 2–2 deadlock after extra time.[53][54]
Nicknamed "Alino",[55] Diamanti was a dynamic, creative and technically gifted left-footedplaymaker, who usually played as anattacking midfielder; he had also been deployed as awinger or as asupporting striker on occasion, due to his ability to both create chances for teammates, and score goals with his accurate striking ability from outside the area, despite his lack of pace. He was predominantly known for his vision, passing,crossing, control, anddribbling ability, as well as his accuracy frompenalties; he was also a set-piece specialist, known for his delivery from dead ball situations, as well as his precisecurlingdirect free kicks, and has scored directly fromcorner kicks throughout his career.[56][57][58][59][60] In addition to his flair and playing ability, he is also known for his charismatic personality, tenacity, and leadership on the pitch;[61] moreover, he is a player who wins a lot of fouls for his team.[30]
Diamanti's wife, Silvia Hsieh, isTaiwanese.[62] They married on 6 July 2008.[63] On 18 December 2008, Silvia gave birth to their daughter, Aileen.[64] On 17 July 2010, Silvia gave birth to a second girl, named Olivia.[65] On 8 March 2013, the couple's third child, a boy named Taddeo, was born.[66]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Prato | 1999–2000 | Serie C2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02 | Serie C2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2002–03 | Serie C1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2003–04 | Serie C1 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 25 | 4 | |||
| Total | 23 | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||||
| Empoli (loan) | 2000–01 | Serie B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Fucecchio (loan) | 2001–02 | Serie D | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 3 | |||
| Fiorentina (loan) | 2002–03 | Serie C2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| AlbinoLeffe | 2004–05 | Serie B | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06 | Serie B | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 0 | |||||
| Prato (loan) | 2005–06 | Serie C2 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2[c] | 1 | 13 | 5 | ||
| Prato | 2006–07 | Serie C2 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | 31 | 15 | |||
| Livorno | 2007–08 | Serie A | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 4 | |||
| 2008–09 | Serie B | 32 | 13 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 4[d] | 3 | 39 | 20 | |||
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 59 | 17 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 67 | 24 | ||||
| West Ham United | 2009–10 | Premier League | 27 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 28 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 8 | ||||
| Brescia | 2010–11 | Serie A | 32 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 33 | 7 | |||
| Bologna | 2011–12 | Serie A | 30 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 32 | 8 | |||
| 2012–13 | Serie A | 34 | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 36 | 8 | ||||
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 19 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 20 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 83 | 19 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 88 | 22 | |||||
| Guangzhou | 2014 | Super League | 24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 9[e] | 4 | — | 35 | 8 | ||
| Fiorentina (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie A | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
| Watford (loan) | 2015–16 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Atalanta (loan) | 2015–16 | Serie A | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| Palermo | 2016–17 | Serie A | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| Perugia | 2017–18 | Serie B | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||
| Livorno | 2018–19 | Serie B | 32 | 10 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 10 | |||
| Western United | 2019–20 | A-League | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 8 | |||
| 2020–21 | A-League | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 1 | ||||
| 2021–22 | A-League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23 | A-League | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 82 | 11 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 83 | 11 | |||||
| Career total | 526 | 101 | 34 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 579 | 123 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 17 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 June 2013 | Arena Fonte Nova,Salvador, Brazil |  Uruguay | 2–1 | 2–2 (3–2p) | 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup |
Fiorentina
Livorno[68]
Guangzhou Evergrande[68]
Western United
Italy[68]
Individual
Italy squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
