Aimo Diana

Aimo Diana

File:Aimo Stefano Diana.JPG Diana as a Sampdoria player
Personal information
Full name	Aimo Stefano Diana
Date of birth	(1978-01-02) 2 January 1978
Place of birth	Brescia, Italy
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder / Right back
Youth career
	Brescia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2001	Brescia	93	(4)
1999–2000	→ Verona (co-ownership)	25	(0)
2001–2003	Parma	26	(1)
2003	→ Reggina (loan)	16	(1)
2003–2006	Sampdoria	94	(16)
2006–2007	Palermo	41	(2)
2008–2011	Torino	60	(3)
2010	→ Bellinzona (loan)	15	(0)
2011	Bellinzona	16	(0)
2011–2012	Lumezzane	29	(1)
2013	Trento	13	(1)
Total		415	(28)
International career
1998–2000	Italy U21	3	(0)
2004–2007	Italy	13	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Aimo Stefano Diana (born 2 January 1978 in Brescia) is an Italian retired footballer. A player of wide range, he could appear as a midfielder or a defender, always on the right flank.

Club career

A product of Brescia Calcio's youth system, Diana made his debuts for the first team in Serie B in 1997, and played his first Serie A game on 31 August of the same year, against Inter Milan. He played one season with Hellas Verona F.C. in a co-ownership deal, helping the side to a final ninth position in the top level, and left for Parma A.C. in 2001.

Diana was used irregularly by the Emilia-Romagna side, winning the Italian Cup in his first season, but hardly featuring at all in 2002–03. In January 2003 he moved on loan to Reggina Calcio along with Emiliano Bonazzoli, posteriorly signing for U.C. Sampdoria at the end of the campaign. A key member from the start for the Genovese, he helped the team qualify for the UEFA Cup in his second year, scoring five goals in 32 matches; in early May 2005 he scored the game's only at Juventus F.C. and, the following week, also found the net, in a 3–0 home success against ACF Fiorentina.

In the 2006 summer, Diana signed for U.S. Città di Palermo for €5 million, with Sampdoria also selling Marco Pisano to the same club for €4 million and receiving Massimo Bonanni (50% for €2million), Pietro Accardi (€2 million) and Christian Terlizzi (50% for €1.5 million). He was regularly used in one 1/2 seasons and scored two goals, including the equalizer in a 2–1 home win by the Rosanero against A.C. Milan on 26 September 2007. On 30 January of the following year he was sold to Torino F.C. in a permanent move, for €1.2 million.

In early January 2010, Ultras of Torino attacked club players during David Di Michele's birthday party. After the incident, Riccardo Colombo, Diana, Di Michele, Massimo Loviso, Marco Pisano, Francesco Pratali and Paolo Zanetti were transferred to other clubs, with only Rolando Bianchi, Angelo Ogbonna and Matteo Rubin remaining.

Diana joined AC Bellinzona in Switzerland on loan in early February 2010, making his Super League debut on the 21st in a 1–2 away loss against FC Luzern, eventually contributing solidly (15 matches, 14 starts) as the club narrowly retained its division status.

Subsequently, 32-year-old Diana returned to Torino. On 4 January 2011 he mutually terminated his contract, re-signing for Bellinzona (on a permanent basis) the following day.

International career

After impressing for Sampdoria, Diana received his first call-ups to the Italian national team, making his debut in a friendly match with Spain on 28 April 2004.

A regular for the Azzurri under Marcello Lippi, an injury prevented him from being picked to the squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. On 2 June 2007, in his last appearance, Diana assisted on Filippo Inzaghi's second goal against the Faroe Islands, in a 2–1 away win for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Honours

Parma

• Coppa Italia: 2001–02

External links

• Stats at Tutto Calciatori (Italian)
• National team data (Italian)
• Aimo Diana at National-Football-Teams.com
• Aimo Diana at Soccerway

• US Città di Palermo Report and Accounts on 30 June 2006 (Italian)
• US Città di Palermo Report and Accounts on 30 June 2008 (Italian)