QPR: Ex-Italy international was a serious headscratcher of a Flavio Briatore signing - View | OneFootball

Former Italian international Damiano Tommasi's short stay at QPR in 2008/09 was one of then owner Flavio Briatore's bizarre decisions.

Flavio Briatore's two-and-a-half tenure as QPR co-owner and chair was a bit of a roller-coaster ride all-round for Hoops fans. There are many instances that stand out during that somewhat chaotic period between late 2007 and early 2010, and one transfer that turned out to be a little bewildering was the addition of 34-year-old former Italian international midfielder Damiano Tommasi in 2008.

Prior to his arrival in West London, Tommassi had led a decorated career in his homeland, firstly with Hellas Verona, but most notably capital giants AS Roma, for whom the defensive midfielder spent a decade between 1996 and 2006, making 351 appearances and lifting the Serie A title in 2000/01.

The veteran had left I Giallorossi in 2006, spending two steady years in the Spanish top-flight with Levante, though he and his teammates would suffer relegation prior to his release in the summer of 2008.

Previously capped 25 times by the Italian national team between 1998 and 2003, it was widely thought Tommasi's better days were behind him, and a move to the fast-paced, physically demanding English second-tier was, perhaps, a strange one all-round.

Signing of Tommasi symptomatic of frenzied ownership

QPR have, in recent times, had inconsistent ownership and a revolving door of players and mangers, too.

Flavio Briatore, co-owner with Bernie Eccleston and Lakshmi Mittal, was at Loftus Road for over two years from 2007, but stood down in 2010 amid an FA investigation into his credentials following a ban on his Formula One activities.

The Guardian later suggested the 74-year-old Italian was responsible for bringing in some of QPR's biggest earners at that time, including Daniel Parejo and Tommasi, and adding them to then manager Iain Dowie's squad.

Owner interference on the football side of things rarely works out well, and with former Northern Ireland striker Dowie leaving Parejo (on loan from Real Madrid) and Tommasi out of the Championship side, much to the apparent annoyance of Briatore (as reported on mirror.co.uk), Rangers were destined for inconsistency and their manager the sack.

The axe was wielded in late October, with Paulo Sousa eventually taking over. The Portuguese would give Tommasi his belated Rangers debut, but the experienced holding player didn't look a great fit for the English second-tier in his seven appearances, with matches regularly passing him by.

Tommasi, who won't have come cheaply to QPR, was released at the start of 2009 having made very little impact, despite some fanfare upon his arrival.

Briatore and Eccleston's ownership of the West London club is best described as chaotic, and the signing of a midfielder well past his best and completely new to the English game, only to see his contract terminated five months later, was symptomatic of that time.

Tommasi is now Mayor of Verona

After his brief and forgettable stay with the Hoops came to an end, the midfielder spent some time in Chinese football withTianjin TEDA, before finishing his playing days with San Marino side La Fiorita.

Since his retirement, Tommasi has gone into business, setting up a football-related sports culture company in China. He was also president of the Italian Footballers' Association between 2011 and 2020.

Nowadays, the former Roma player is Mayor of Verona, his native city, where he took office in 2022, ousting predecessor Federico Sboarina in the process.

Tommasi has certainly had success in every walk of life he's been involved with, be that football, business or politics. However, Flavio Briatore's decision to bring the ageing midfielder to QPR in 2008 certainly left the Loftus Road faithful scratching their heads.