Who is Damiano Tommasi, the former footballer who could become mayor of Verona

For now it is only an exit poll, but with a sensational result in a city, Verona, which the center-left has not governed for 15 years and in a region that is a stronghold of the center-right like the Veneto. The mayoral candidate of the turning point is the one that most did not expect: Damiano Tommasi.

The former footballer has applied as a Street number without making debates and public appearances with representatives of the parties who have decided to support him. Based on the exit poll of the Opinio Italia consortium for Rai, it would be the first in the race (counting from 2pm on Monday 13th). For him a fork between 37 and 41% of the votes, to follow Federico Sboarinathe outgoing mayor, exponent of the Brothers of Italy supported by the center right with 27-31%, and the former mayor Flavio Tosisupported by Forza Italia, with the same percentages.

«We will have to wait for certain data, but the result of the exit polls shows that the desire to turn the page in Verona is making itself felt and this was our first goal. It is a historic result for Verona, where it has been waiting for a long time the prospect of change. The hope is to be able to start building a new future for the city, “he said while waiting for the definitive results.

L’former midfielder of Verona, Roma and the national team (the unfortunate one who went to the world championship twenty years ago and met the referee Byron Moreno), is 48 years old, is married to Chiara and has six children. With his wife he founded a bilingual school and attends the Faculty of Education at the University of Padua. After leaving the field he was president of the Italian footballers’ association, from 2011 and for almost ten years.

When he played they called him the altar boy and also a candid soul. His education is Catholic and social, the model is Don Lorenzo Milani and many parts of his program are introduced by quotations from the Barbiana priest. When all footballers were in the military, he chose conscientious objection. Already at the time he was engaged against child exploitation, even in the sewing of soccer balls.

His civic candidacy has held together all the souls of the center and the left. The qualities of diplomacy they are not lacking and have been recognized in the world of football. The trademark, in football politics as in that city, is a clean face and decent manners, never shouted at. No mega billboards, no megacomice: “I prefer to talk to as many people as possible, looking them in the eye.”

The opponents in Verona agree on the decent person, but they define him as inexperienced. «I gladly accept the first part of the judgment, because if there were better people in politics it would already be a good step forwardHe said as reported on Corriere della Sera.

In his program there are the environmental sustainabilitypay attention to school with the fight against dispersion and nursery schools in every neighborhood, merit prevails and the removal of architectural barriers. When he ran for the presidency of the FIGC he said that he never backed down and it still holds true today: “The last time I pulled my leg back I broke my knee.” Right after that knee break, which would have involved a very long stop, he proposed a contract with Rome at the federal minimum: 1500 euros per montha figure unknown to any other player.

Getting to the ballot it would already be a great result and then we will have to see how badly the two center-right candidates will hurt each other.

– Not only Kanye West: when the famous go hunting for (electoral) votes

– Damiano Tommasi, a “clean face” for the FIGC: “Let’s go back to talking about football after Tavecchio”