# Alessandro Diamanti
**Alessandro Diamanti** (born 1983 in Prato) is an Italian football coach and former attacking midfielder, known in Italy as a trequartista, who played 17 times for the Italy national team, scored the decisive penalty when Italy eliminated England at Euro 2012, and finished his 23-year playing career in Australia with Western United before becoming head coach of Cesena.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983, Prato, Italy[1](https://www.bolognafc.it/alessandro-diamanti-la-carriera/) |
| Position | Attacking midfielder (trequartista), left-footed[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/) • [3](https://www.corriere.it/sport/euro-2012/girone-c/italia/alessandro-diamanti.shtml) |
| Playing career | 23 years, more than 550 games, from AC Prato to Western United[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/) |
| Italy record | 17 caps and one goal; runner-up at Euro 2012[5](https://amp.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/sportmediaset/article/113535762) • [2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/) |
| Signature moment | Winning penalty in the Euro 2012 quarter-final shootout against England[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/) |
| A-League honors | 2020 Johnny Warren Medal; 2021-22 A-League championship with Western United[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/) |
| Coaching | Melbourne City Under-23; Cesena head coach from 2026 on a contract to 30 June 2028[6](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-finalmente-lannuncio-diamanti-in-50af805e) |
## Early career in the lower divisions
Diamanti grew up in Prato, a Tuscan textile city, and came through three years in the youth ranks of the local club before joining the first team in 2000[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/). His early career was a slow climb through the Italian pyramid, with loans to Empoli, Fucecchio, and Fiorentina and spells at AlbinoLeffe before a final Prato season in 2006-07[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/). The season-by-season record shows the pattern: 24 appearances and 3 goals for Fucecchio in [Serie D](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-d) in 2001-02, 10 goals in 25 games for Prato in Serie C2 in 2006-07[1](https://www.bolognafc.it/alessandro-diamanti-la-carriera/).
**The breakthrough at Livorno.** In 2007, backed by the former defender Fabio Galante, he joined Livorno and made his [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) debut, recording 4 goals and 26 appearances in his first top-flight season[3](https://www.corriere.it/sport/euro-2012/girone-c/italia/alessandro-diamanti.shtml). After Livorno was relegated he starred in [Serie B](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-b) in 2008-09 with 15 goals in 36 games as the club won promotion[1](https://www.bolognafc.it/alessandro-diamanti-la-carriera/), and that form earned him a move to the Premier League at the request of the West Ham United manager [Gianfranco Zola](https://www.edgepedia.org/gianfranco-zola)[3](https://www.corriere.it/sport/euro-2012/girone-c/italia/alessandro-diamanti.shtml).
## Serie A, England, and China
Diamanti scored 7 goals in 28 Serie A games for West Ham in 2009-10[1](https://www.bolognafc.it/alessandro-diamanti-la-carriera/). He then returned to Italy, playing for Brescia in Serie A in 2010-11 (32 games, 6 goals) and for Bologna from 2011[1](https://www.bolognafc.it/alessandro-diamanti-la-carriera/) • [2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/). Later stops included Atalanta, Palermo, and Perugia in Serie B, a move to the Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande in 2014, and a return to England on a brief loan at Watford in 2015[7](https://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/cards/alessandro-diamanti-si-ritira-australia-cina-tiri-giro-euro-2012-poi-boh/carriera.shtml) • [4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/).
## Euro 2012
Diamanti was one of the surprises in the 23-man Italy squad that [Cesare Prandelli](https://www.edgepedia.org/cesare-prandelli) took to Poland and Ukraine for Euro 2012; his only previous call-up had been a friendly against Romania in November 2010[8](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/reste-du-monde/2012-2013/les-diamanti-sont-eternels_sto3327973/story.shtml). In the quarter-final against England he scored the winning penalty in the shootout that sent Italy through[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/). Italy reached the final, and Diamanti finished the tournament as a European runner-up[2](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/). He won 17 caps for Italy in total, scoring once[5](https://amp.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/sportmediaset/article/113535762).
## Western United and retirement
In July 2019 Diamanti joined Western United, a Melbourne-based expansion club, for its inaugural [A-League Men](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-league-men) season[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/). He captained the side through that first campaign and finished 2019-20 with 7 goals and 7 assists in 25 regular-season games, helping the club reach the semi-finals; he was voted the league's best player and won the Johnny Warren Medal ahead of Milos Ninkovic, Jamie Maclaren, Diego Castro, and Ulises Davila[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/).
Across four seasons he made 81 A-League Men appearances for Western, scoring 11 goals, and contributed to the club's 2021-22 championship[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/). Injuries limited his final two seasons, yet in 2022-23 he still scored two notable goals: a stoppage-time free kick against Wellington Phoenix in a 3-2 win, and a winning lob from roughly 45 yards against [Sydney FC](https://www.edgepedia.org/sydney-fc) in a 1-0 victory[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/).
He announced in April 2023 that he would retire at the end of the 2022-23 season[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/). His final match came in Perth in front of 5,000 fans, with Western winning 2-1; substituted in the 64th minute a few days short of his 40th birthday, he was applauded off by both sets of supporters[9](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/apr/30/the-happiest-man-in-the-world-footballer-alessandro-diamanti-bows-out-after-23-years).
## Coaching career
After retiring, Diamanti remained in Australian football and coached Melbourne City's Under-23 team within the [City Football Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-football-group) setup[6](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-finalmente-lannuncio-diamanti-in-50af805e) • [10](https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/28-09-2025/diamanti-io-la-juve-l-inter-il-livorno-l-australia-conte-e.shtml). In June 2026 he obtained the UEFA Pro qualification at the Federal Technical Center in Coverciano, presenting a thesis titled "Healthy Madness"[11](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-diamanti-promosso-ma-la-e8d3f25c).
On 2 July 2026 Cesena announced him as first-team coach, his first head-coaching role and his first job in Italian football; the contract runs until 30 June 2028[6](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-finalmente-lannuncio-diamanti-in-50af805e). He had never previously coached in Italy, much less in Serie B, where Cesena competes[6](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-finalmente-lannuncio-diamanti-in-50af805e).
## Style of play
Diamanti played as a left-footed, creative attacking midfielder, a profile Italian commentary described as combining fantasy with inconsistency[3](https://www.corriere.it/sport/euro-2012/girone-c/italia/alessandro-diamanti.shtml). His career was built on expressive, at times spectacular football rather than a heavy trophy count; as he put it at his retirement, "I haven't been a 100 trophy player, but I have been a player who felt loved"[4](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/).
## References
1. [Alessandro Diamanti: la carriera, Bologna FC 1909](https://www.bolognafc.it/alessandro-diamanti-la-carriera/)
2. [Diamanti, Alessandro, Enciclopedia Treccani](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/alessandro-diamanti/)
3. [Alessandro Diamanti, Italia, Euro 2012, Corriere della Sera](https://www.corriere.it/sport/euro-2012/girone-c/italia/alessandro-diamanti.shtml)
4. [Grazie, Alessandro: Western legend Diamanti announces retirement, A-Leagues](https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-news-alessandro-diamanti-announces-retirement-western-united/)
5. [Sorpresa Cesena, Diamanti è sempre più vicino, SportMediaset](https://amp.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/sportmediaset/article/113535762)
6. [Cesena, the announcement finally arrives. Diamanti on the bench until 2028, Quotidiano Sportivo](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-finalmente-lannuncio-diamanti-in-50af805e)
7. [Alessandro Diamanti si ritira: che fine ha fatto, Corriere della Sera](https://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/cards/alessandro-diamanti-si-ritira-australia-cina-tiri-giro-euro-2012-poi-boh/carriera.shtml)
8. [Les Diamanti sont éternels, Eurosport](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/reste-du-monde/2012-2013/les-diamanti-sont-eternels_sto3327973/story.shtml)
9. ['The happiest man in the world': footballer Alessandro Diamanti bows out after 23 years, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/apr/30/the-happiest-man-in-the-world-footballer-alessandro-diamanti-bows-out-after-23-years)
10. [Diamanti: "Io, la Juve, l'Inter, il Livorno, l'Australia, Conte e...", La Gazzetta dello Sport](https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/28-09-2025/diamanti-io-la-juve-l-inter-il-livorno-l-australia-conte-e.shtml)
11. [Cesena, Diamanti promoted. But the coach's signature is delayed again, Quotidiano Sportivo](https://sport.quotidiano.net/en/altri-sport/cesena-diamanti-promosso-ma-la-e8d3f25c)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches › Italian managers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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