The Ambassador: Bruno Conti

Date of birth: 13 March 1955
Nationality: Italian
Playing career: AS Roma, Genoa CFC (twice)
Coaching career: AS Roma

Former Roma winger Bruno Conti will hope to do the city proud once more as ambassador for the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico.

A living legend, Conti was born in nearby Nettuno and played for Roma for the whole of his career, between 1973 and 1991, barring two season-long loan spells at Genoa CFC in 1975/76 and 1978/79. A right-sided winger, he helped the club win their second league title in 1982/83 and also earned Italian Cup winners' medals in 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1986, and was still on the club's books when they won the 1991 competition. He also played for Roma in their only European Champion Clubs' Cup final in 1984, but his side lost to Liverpool FC on penalties, with Conti and Francesco Graziani missing their spot-kicks.

The whole of Italy shared in Conti's talents thanks to his exploits with the national team. First called up by Enzo Bearzot in 1980, he was part of the squad that won the FIFA World Cup in Spain two years later. Conti's delivery set up Paolo Rossi for a goal against Poland in the semi-final, with the striker saying: "His cross was so precise that I only had to wait for the ball to hit my head." Conti played the whole 90 minutes of the final as Italy won 3-1 against West Germany at the Santiago Bernabéu, and was involved in the moves that led to two of Italy's goals. He scored five times in 47 international matches, between 1980 and 1986.

While he hung up his boots in 1991, Conti did not abandon football, moving straight on to a position in Roma's youth department with the remit to scour Italy for new talent. He would eventually take charge of the club's youth operations and had a brief spell as coach of the senior team, between 14 March and 20 June 2005 following Luigi Del Neri's resignation, leading his side to the Italian Cup final, which they lost 3-0 against FC Internazionale Milano. The next season, he became the club's technical director and he remains an immensely popular figure. His sons Daniele and Andrea are now professional footballers too, at Cagliari Calcio and AC Bellinzona respectively.

Bruno Conti was involved in a uefa.com webchat from Monaco last year. Click here to read what he had to say.