Editing Roberto Di Matteo (section)

===Lazio===
He signed for [[SS Lazio|Lazio]] in the summer of 1993 on a free transfer.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hancock|first=Lewis|title=Preview: Aston Villa home|url=http://www.bcfc.co.uk//news/article/2016-17/preview-aston-villa-home-3272491.aspx|website=bcfc.co.uk|publisher=Bristol City F.C.|date=26 August 2016|access-date=31 October 2016}}</ref> Di Matteo became a regular starting-11 member of the Lazio side in midfield under managers [[Dino Zoff]] and later [[Zdeněk Zeman]], and he made his debut for the [[Italy national football team|Italy national team]] during his three seasons with the Rome club.<ref name="Di Matteo, favola azzurra">{{cite news |last=Coldagelli |first=Luigi |date=22 December 1993 |title=Di Matteo, favola azzurra. " mi dissero: fatti svizzero cosi' andrai ai Mondiali " |language=it |work=Corriere della Sera |publisher=RCS MediaGroup |location=Milan |url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1993/dicembre/22/Matteo_favola_azzurra_dissero_fatti_co_0_93122212869.shtml |url-status=dead |access-date=21 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102043831/http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1993/dicembre/22/Matteo_favola_azzurra_dissero_fatti_co_0_93122212869.shtml |archive-date=2015-11-02}}</ref> Under Zeman, he was frequently deployed in the central midfield role, in which he was required to aid the team defensively – thanks to his formation as a sweeper during his youth –<ref name="Di Matteo, favola azzurra"/><ref name="LAZIO DI ZEMAN">{{cite news |url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1994/04/26/la-lazio-di-zeman-schemi-potenza.html?ref=search |title=LA LAZIO DI ZEMAN, SCHEMI E POTENZA |work=a Repubblica |language=it |date=26 April 1994 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref><ref name="svizzero">{{cite news |url=https://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/roberto-di-matteo-lo-svizzero-dabruzzo-che-port-il-chelsea-sul-trono-deuropa_18850534-202002a.shtml |title=Roberto Di Matteo: lo svizzero d'Abruzzo che portò il Chelsea sul trono d'Europa |work=Sportmediaset.it |language=IT |date=29 May 2020 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref> as well as offensively and creatively.<ref name="quando Di Matteo battè gli azzurri">{{cite web |url=https://www.calcionapoli24.it/rassegna_stampa/occhi-cinesi-e-sorriso-giapponese-ecco-quando-di-matteo-batt-gli-azzurri-n49452.html |title=Occhi cinesi e sorriso giapponese: ecco quando Di Matteo battè gli azzurri... |website=calcionapoli24.it |language=it |date=10 October 2019 |access-date=2 May 2022 }}</ref> During his time at the club, he developed into one of the top two-way [[Midfielder#Central midfielder|central midfielders]] in Italy.<ref name="elogio a Zeman">{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/1997/settembre/09/Matteo_elogio_Zeman_ga_0_9709095262.shtml|title=Di Matteo, elogio a Zeman|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup|location=Milan|language=it|date=9 September 1997|access-date=21 September 2014}}</ref>