What happened to Matteo Brighi: The FIFA wonderkid who is the second highest-rated player in the history of the game
"At the beginning of his career, he was praised so excessively that too many expectations were created around him." – Marcello Lippi on Matteo Brighi in an interview with Il Romanista in 2008.
Like many others before him, a fresh-faced Matteo Brighi was tipped for greatness when he followed in the footsteps of Francesco Totti and Paolo Maldini by winning Serie A’s Young Player of the Year.
The award came after an impressive season on loan at Francesco Guidolin's Bologna, where he earned a reputation as one of Italy's most promising midfielders – and Brighi returned to Juventus with rave reviews.
In fact, those behind the scenes at EA Sports were absolutely convinced by his talent.
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With just a single Italy cap to his name, the versatile 21-year-old was handed a rating of 97, which was higher than the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos and Pavel Nedved, to name just a few.
Ronaldo Nazario was the only player to surpass Brighi's rating that year after helping Brazil to the 2002 World Cup with a Golden Boot-winning tournament in South Korea and Japan.
“In some ways he looks like me – he’s a simple, linear player. He should only be less shy," said Carlo Ancelotti of the midfielder in 2001. “He does not speak but whispers; he moves as if he should always ask for permission.”
Amid the hype surrounding his name, Brighi returned to Juventus in 2022 but was soon shipped off to Parma as part of a co-ownership deal that saw Marco Di Vaio move in the opposite direction.
Unfortunately, injury hampered his progress in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region and he was sent on loan to Brescia the following year.
To his credit, though, the midfielder bounced back and showcased his undisputed talent at Serie A giants Roma during a nine-year spell, scoring 13 goals in 141 appearances for the Giallorossi.
Speaking about his time at Roma in 2020, Brighi said: “It was the peak of my career. That’s when I felt like a bona fide player. I’d been playing in Serie A for many years, but I became complete at Roma and really matured.
"That’s how it has to be, given the way the city lives for football and how the club constantly looks after its players.”
Brighi went on to play for Torino, Sassuolo, Bologna, Perugia and Empoli before hanging up his boots in 2019.
A year later, he started working with AIC, the Italian Footballers’ Association. "I also have my own football academy in Rimini with some friends where I coach kids," he told Roma's official website.
Asked about his retirement from the game, he said: “I’m not the type for announcements and goodbyes. I’ve started a new journey which is still in football and that suits me."
Jack Kenmare