David Di Tommaso
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 6, 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Échirolles, France | ||
| Date of death | November 29, 2005 (aged 26) | ||
| Place of death | De Meern, Netherlands | ||
| Position(s) | Central defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2000 | AS Monaco | 14 | (0) |
| 2000–2004 | Sedan | 77 | (2) |
| 2004–2005 | FC Utrecht | 44 | (1) |
| Total | 135 | (3) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1997 | France U-17 | 5 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | France U-21 | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David di Elias Alemu Tommaso (October 6, 1979 – November 29, 2005) was a French football player.
Early life
Di Tommaso was born in Échirolles, Isère. His father Pascal Di Tommaso and uncle Louis Di Tommaso both played in Ligue 2 for Grenoble Foot 38 in the 1980s. His younger brother Yohan Di Tommaso is also a professional footballer.
Career
He started his career at French side AS Monaco, where he helped the club win the 2000 league title. He then played in the UEFA Champions League and was selected for the French national youth football team. In 2001, di Tommaso transferred to Sedan, which sold him to Dutch side FC Utrecht in 2004. In his first season there, the fans named him the club's player of the year.
His last match was on November 27, a 1–0 victory against Ajax Amsterdam, one of FC Utrecht's main rivals.[1]
Death
Di Tommaso died after a cardiac arrest in his sleep at the age of 26 in De Meern, Netherlands. He is survived by his wife and son.[2]
After his death
On December 1, a meeting of supporters at Stadion Galgenwaard was held, to honour Di Tommaso (DiTo for short). At least 14,000 fans showed up. Among the speakers were chairman Jan Willem van Dop, coach Foeke Booy and captain Jean-Paul de Jong. Besides Di Tommaso's relatives and FC Utrecht's main squad, all of the clubs' youth teams were among the visitors. They were told that number 4, the number worn by Di Tommaso, would be retired from use. Sedan, Di Tommaso's former club, had already announced that number 29, the number Di Tommaso used when he played for the club, would be retired.
Di Tommaso Trophy
Since 2006, FC Utrecht's player of the year award is called the Di Tommaso trophy in honour of David Di Tommaso. The trophy is voted for by the fans.[3]
References
- ^ "FC Utrecht – Ajax, 27 november 2005: Het laatste duel van Di Tommaso" (in Dutch). ad.nl. September 26, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ "Utrecht mourn Di Tommaso's death". BBC Sport. December 2, 2005. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ "FOOTBALLSCARVES News" (in Dutch). footballscarves.nl. November 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2013.