Agostino Di Bartolomei

Agostino Di Bartolomei

Agostino Di Bartolomei (1978-79)
Personal information
Full name	Agostino Di Bartolomei
Date of birth	(1955-04-08)April 8, 1955
Place of birth	Rome, Italy
Date of death
Place of death	San Marco di Castellabate, Italy
Height
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Youth career
	Roma
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1972–1984	Roma	272	(50)
1975–1976	→ Lanerossi (loan)	33	(4)
1984–1987	Milan	88	(9)
1987–1988	Cesena	25	(4)
1988–1990	Salernitana	52	(16)
International career
1976–1978	Italy U-21	8	(7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Agostino Di Bartolomei (April 8, 1955 in Rome – May 30, 1994 in San Marco di 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 players ever, and one of the greatest Italian players never to have been capped by the Italian national team.

Biography

Di Bartolomei was born in a suburb of Rome. He started as a football player in the Garbatella and was recruited in the A.S. Roma junior team at fourteen. He was soon asked to play in the main team, making his debut in the Italian Serie A during 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 the same reason), returning to Rome in 1976 as one of the leading and indispensable players of the team.

After Nils Liedholm's return as coach of A.S. Roma, Di Bartolomei became the team's undisputed leader, raising to the title of captain and becoming 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 Brazilian Falcão. Thus, Liedholm decided to move Di Bartolomei in front of the defence for protection, 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 to be his last season with A.S. Roma.

After leaving Roma, he was transferred to A.C. Milan that was undergoing a rebuilding process after a disastrous period in which they were relegated to the Serie B twice. After three seasons he left Milan and his career fizzled out after playing for Cesena and Salernitana. He finally retired in 1990.

Retirement and death

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

He is a member of the A.S. Roma Hall of Fame.

Honours

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

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Sergio Santarini	Roma captain 1980–1984	Succeeded by Carlo Ancelotti