Vito D’Amato was born in Gallipoli on July 27, 1944.
His family soon moved to Rome due to the fact that his father got a job as janitor. He joined Lazio as a kid and went through all the Biancoceleste youth teams and debuted in Serie A on December 20 1964 at Genoa against Sampdoria. That season he made 16 appearances and scored 3 goals.
He became a regular and a fan favourite thanks to the goal against Roma which gave Lazio victory on October 10 1965. He scored a spectacular goal the next season against Inter. He must have impressed the Nerazzurri because in 1967 they signed him. Lazio desperately needed money, and had been relegated, so they could not ignore the offer. D’Amato was also part of the 40 selected for the 1966 World Cup in the UK.
At Inter he did not play much, just 13 appearances and one goal, and in 1968 he returned to Rome but on the wrong side of the Tiber. He played a year for the Giallorossi winning a Coppa Italia. In 1969 he moved to Cesena in Serie B but in November was sold to Verona in Serie A where he stayed two seasons.
His last two years of high-level football he spent with Catania in Serie B. He then signed for Ocres Moca, a team based in Guidonia Montecelio just outside of Rome where he played from 1974 to 1977 and then became their manager. In 1997-98 he was head coach of the Lazio Women’s team.
It was a pity D’Amato did not fulfil his potential. He was a great player but never quite made it. He made 87 appearances for Lazio (79 in Serie A, 5 in Coppa Italia and 3 in the Mitropa Cup) with 15 goals (13 in Serie A, and one each in Coppa Italia and Mitropa Cup).
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Mitropa Cup |
1963-64 | 1 | - | 1 | - |
1964-65 | 16 (3) | 16 (3) | - | - |
1965-66 | 34 (7) | 31 (7) | 3 | - |
1966-67 | 37 (5) | 32 (3) | 2 (1) | 3 (1) |
Total | 87 (15) | 79 (13) | 6 (1) | 3 (1) |
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