The former midfielder Raise Damiano Tomassi48 years old and with six children, has been elected the new mayor of Veronaa city historically governed by the right.
For Tomassiwho played for Levante between 2006 and 2008 and after his retirement was a representative of the Italian soccer players’ union, is his first political experience, at the head of a civic list that has been supported by a wide representation of the center-left parties more the M5S, +Europe Y azione.
The candidacy of Tommasi it is the best experiment of the “wide field” that the general secretary of the Democratic Party (PD) hopes to create, Enrico Lettafacing the general elections of 2023 to be able to defeat the right.
Although when asked if he considers himself a leftist politician, this practicing Catholic prefers not to answer. The former soccer player was an atypical candidate far removed from the conventional politician and has conquered Verona without giving a single rally, with walks through the neighborhoods, many face-to-face meetings with citizens, using calm tones and without a controversy with his opponents.
In the first round, held on June 12, he had won more votes Federico Sborinasupported by the Brothers of Italy and the League, while forza italy presented his own candidate, Flavio Tosithus dividing the votes of the right.
In the second round held this Sunday, Tommasi obtained about 53.5 percent of the vote against 46.5 for sboarina and conquered Veronawhere the center-right ruled from 1994 to today, with the exception of Paolo Zanottowho was mayor of the city from 2002 to 2007.
“This political proposal turns the page on a city that has been waiting for this moment for a long time. We managed to campaign without speaking against, without attacking or denigrating the adversary,” Tommasi said after the victory.
To criticism for his lack of political experience, Tommasi He responded by recalling how the management of an association of professional soccer players “requires management preparation that is not insignificant”, as does the school of business management that he has also created with his wife.
Tommasi has conquered Verona with a history of soccer champion but with great humility. He was born in Negrar, a town with less than 15,000 inhabitants, in the province of Verona and with the local team of the hellas he played between 1993 and 1996, and managed to take his team from Serie B to A and then move on to Roma with whom he won the “scudetto”. After leaving Roma he signed for the Spanish Levante and, after they were relegated to the Second Division, he joined the Queen’s Park Rangers English. China and San Marino were his last destinations as a player.
At the international level, Tomassi he was champion of Europe sub’21 in 1996, after winning the final against Spain, and was part of the Italian team that played the World Cup in Korea and Japan 2002.
The official website of his campaign opens with this quote: “We have not inherited the world from our parents, but they have lent it to our children and we have to return it to them better than we found it.”
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