Diego Demme swaps Serie A glory for Berlin pizzerias

In a bustling Berlin pizzeria, 34‑year‑old former Napoli midfielder Diego Demme slices dough, his hands still steady after a career cut short by health scares. The ex‑German international hung up his boots this year, swapping the pitch for the kitchen and a mixed‑martial‑arts ring.

After leaving Napoli, Demme returned to his native Germany. The headline 'Por onde Diego Demme?' captured the curiosity surrounding his move.

He retired at the age of thirty‑four because of unexpected health problems.

Today he devotes his mornings to MMA training and oversees two pizzerias in Berlin, having been an Italiano champion with Napoli.

Following his five‑year spell at Napoli from 2019 to 2024, he signed for Hertha Berlin, where two serious head injuries occurred within two years.

In one of those incidents he was struck on the temples and briefly lost consciousness.

"It was a difficult period for me. That is why I decided to end my career. I wanted to stop while I was still healthy and, after the head‑injury problems, I chose not to take further risks on the field," Demme told.

Business and family life

He now splits his time between his family and running the two pizza outlets.

In his spare time he also practices padel, boxing and MMA.

Developed by Arminia Bielefeld, Demme also featured for Paderborn and Leipzig before joining Napoli.

With Napoli he lifted the Coppa Italia in 2019‑2020 and the Serie A title in 2022‑2023.

He earned a single cap for Germany at the 2017 Confederations Cup.