Agostino Di Bartolomei was an Italian football player, who played as a midfielder or as a defender, in a sweeper role. Famed for his elegance on the ball and 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.
Career
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', 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 the chant "Oh, Agostino... Ago, Ago, Ago, Agostino gol!" Despite his goalscoring prowess, Roma had several superb playmakers, in Di Bartolomei, compatriot Bruno Conti, and the Brazilians Falcão and Toninho Cerezo. Thus, Liedholm decided to move Di Bartolomei in front of the defence for protection, knocking precise passes up the field, with Falcão and Ceerezo played in the centre, while Conti would assume a more attacking role behind the forwards. 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 1984 European Cupfinal held in Rome against Liverpool F.C., was his last season with A.S. Roma; although Di Bartolomei was able to net Roma's first spot kick, later misses by Bruno Conti and Francesco Graziani ultimately proved to be decisive. 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.
Style of play
A tactically intelligent and versatile team player, Di Bartolomei usually played as a central or defensive midfielder in front of the defensive line in a deep-lying playmaking role; he was also capable of playing in a more advanced role, or in the centre of his team's defensive line, where he usually functioned as a sweeper, a position in which he was frequently deployed during Roma's Scudetto victory in the 1982–83 season, due to his ability to play the ball out from the back or advance into midfield with his head up while in possession of the ball. A quick and hard-working midfielder, although he was not gifted with significant pace, he was known for his stamina and long stride, which enabled him to cover the pitch effectively. Famed for his elegance on the ball, technical ability, and playmaking skills, he was known for his excellent long-passing ability, vision, and ability to read the game, and also possessed an eye for goal, due to his accurate and powerful shot from distance with his right foot; he was also an accurate free-kick and penalty taker, and usually struck the ball without taking a run-up. In addition to his playing ability, he was also known for his outstanding tenacity and charismatic leadership as Roma's captain, both on and off the pitch, in spite of his introverted character. He was also regarded as a serious, composed, and correct player, who was known for his fair play, honesty, and discipline as a footballer. Throughout his career, he was given the nickname Diba.
