The story of Damiano Tommasi”Anima Candida” (Pure Soul), ex football player of AS Roma.
During a summer friendly match against Stoke City in 2004, Tommasi suffered a horrible knee injury caused and was out of action for a long time. In the summer of 2005 he accepted a one-year contract extension, with youth player wages (€1,500 amonth), the minumum salary a professional footballer could get, a contract which he instigated himself in the name of fairness. He did it for gratitude, to thanks his club, AS Roma, to wait for him and his full recovery. He finally returned to play on 30 October 2005 being hailed with a long standing ovation by the Roma supporters. In the 2011 after retirement, he became the president of the Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC – Associazione Italiana Calciatori).
A story that reminds us that also if sport nowadays is a job for lots of people, still remains something to love, love that sometimes is more important than money.