logo
Former Celtic player reportedly set to become manager of Serie B club

Former Celtic player reportedly set to become manager of Serie B club

Glasgow Times10-07-2025
Donati, who played for Celtic from 2007 to 2009, retired in 2018 before moving into coaching.
He had a brief stint at Kilmarnock as a technical coach in 2019, followed by a short managerial spell at US Sambenedettese in 2021.
Read more:
He also managed Legnago Salus and Athens Kallithea, before now reportedly being set to take the helm at Sampdoria.
The Italian journalist, Nicolo Schira, has said it is a "done deal" for Donati to become the new manager of the Serie B club.
He will reportedly sign a one-year deal with an automatic extension if he succeeds in gaining promotion to Serie A in the upcoming season.
🔜 Done Deal and confirmed! Massimo #Donati is new #Sampdoria's coach. Contract until 2026 with an automatic option for 2027, if #Samp arrive in Serie A. #transfers https://t.co/E9cWaOMfiK — Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) July 10, 2025
The former Italian champions were relegated to Serie B after finishing at the bottom of Serie A in the 2022/23 season, and were unsuccessful in their bid for an immediate return to the top flight.
Donati, who made 53 appearances for Celtic, is now reportedly tasked with leading a promotion bid to bring the club back to Italy's top tier.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Celtic transfer panic gauged by the Jury as title crowns dished out early with new season approaching
Celtic transfer panic gauged by the Jury as title crowns dished out early with new season approaching

Daily Record

time10 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Celtic transfer panic gauged by the Jury as title crowns dished out early with new season approaching

Rangers, Hibs and Dundee United all enjoyed big results to keep Euro hopes alive but questions being asked over at Celtic Are the alarm bells ringing at Celtic after Thursday's Ajax thumping? ‌ CRAIG SWAN: Brendan Rodgers is making it crystal clear he needs his top targets in the door. If that's not happening, alarm bells will indeed ring amongst fans. ‌ FRASER WILSON: It was a bit of a surprise given how comfortable they looked against Newcastle five days earlier. But while it's not quite alarm bells it should certainly be a wake-up call to those in charge of recruitment that, if they want another good run in the Champions League, they need to bring in more quality. ‌ MICHAEL GANNON: There's no need to panic in pre-season but punters can be concerned. Celtic have a pile of money but Brendan Rodgers's squad is well short a week before the big kick-off. They need to get their skates on with new signings. Will Rangers finish the job against Panathinaikos in Greece? CRAIG SWAN: Russell Martin's team have given themselves a superb platform. The key will be a solid first half-hour in Athens. Get through that and get through the tie. FRASER WILSON: Get a goal, preferably the first, and it's job done. Tuesday's result was a fantastic result for Russell Martin. They need to keep the backdoor closed in Athens and that might require a more pragmatic approach. But I fancy them to get through. MICHAEL GANNON: The tie is certainly not over as the first half the other night showed the Greeks can be dangerous. But playing on the counter might suit Gers and you'd fancy them to score out then and end the tie. Progress would be a superb achievement at this stage of the rebuild. ‌ Can Hibs and Dundee United seal the deal in their Euro ties? CRAIG SWAN: Fingers crossed for both sides. Both teams have done good work to the halfway mark, but there is more to be done. Let's say yes. FRASER WILSON: A great result for Hibs in Denmark. They have a strong squad and with another big performance at home should secure a memorable victory. United have made life a little uncomfortable for themselves with a slender 1-0 lead heading to Luxembourg. Hopefully it focuses the mind and the job can be finished with minimum fuss. ‌ MICHAEL GANNON: it was a superb result for Hibs but it won't be straightforward in the return. They'll need to play out of their skins again but they can see it out. United should have been more comfortable and it'll be an awkward night. They should have enough though. The new season kicks off this week, who will finish top in all four divisions? CRAIG SWAN: Celtic. St Johnstone. Inverness. East Kilbride. FRASER WILSON: Celtic to make it five in a row but with a far greater fight from Rangers. You could throw a blanket over half the Championship but I go for Ross County. Inverness to claw five points back and win League One. And East Kilbride to storm to the League Two title. MICHAEL GANNON: Celtic need reinforcements but should still be too strong with Rangers regrouping this term. Neil Lennon will take Dunfermline out of the Championship, Inverness Caley Thistle will bounce back in League One while East Kilbride could continue their rise in League Two.

What is going on at Celtic? If Brendan Rodgers answer isn't a warning then I don't know what is
What is going on at Celtic? If Brendan Rodgers answer isn't a warning then I don't know what is

Daily Record

time10 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

What is going on at Celtic? If Brendan Rodgers answer isn't a warning then I don't know what is

The boss said he can't even think about letting Yang go right now because he is a current starter – and that's a warning sign It was an honest answer to a straightforward question. And it highlighted just where Celtic are right now. ‌ Brendan Rodgers was asked the other night about Yang's future with Norwich City looking to land the winger on loan. ‌ He said he can't even think about letting him go right now because Yang is a current starter. ‌ Think about that. No disrespect to the player. He's shown some positive signs that he can be a decent enough squad player at Celtic. But let's be honest, if you'd said a few months ago he'd be going out on loan there wouldn't have been too many folk complaining. Yet now he's a starter. If that isn't a warning then I don't know what is. So they can't afford to let Yang go but they could allow Nicolas Kuhn to leave without a replacement lined up? What is going on here with Celtic? The new season is a week away. The Champions League play-off is just over four weeks away. And the team is far weaker than the one that finished the season. It's not like the club is strapped for cash, yet they are now facing a scramble to get the players they desperately need in the door. ‌ Rodgers has been clever about it in his comments in the media. He tried to clean up the stuff about some signings being 'club investments' by saying he's got the final say over all incomings. But that is not the point. It's not about where these players are coming from – it's about the level they are at. ‌ We've seen the project players coming in and he's made it crystal clear he needs more experienced ones in the door and quickly. So where are they? The same names have been bandied around for weeks now and there's plenty of talk about the transfer fees and whatever. ‌ If they want these guys in the building then why wait? Just go out and get them. If they don't want to come, then go elsewhere. Celtic can't afford to hang about until they make up their minds or until their clubs drop their valuations. Why weren't the replacements in the pipeline BEFORE these players left. ‌ Kyogo apparently made noises about going months before he departed. You could argue Kuhn looked like he was going long before the end of the season. Those were not surprises so plans should have been in place. Rodgers was talking about needing to refresh his squad back in the spring. To be still saying it going into August is scandalous. ‌ I get the uncertainty around Rodgers' future with his contract running down. But there is always uncertainty around every manager and it shouldn't mean there's a reluctance to bring in new recruits. This is too important a time to be dithering. The word Rodgers used the other evening was 'ambition' – and he doesn't use that likely. ‌ We've been here before with him. It's almost like he's challenging the board to back his vision. I don't blame him. When he came back the talk was about how he's been promised funds to take the club to the next level, to compete in Europe and hammer home their dominance in Scotland. Can anyone seriously say that is how it looks right now? If anything they have left the door open for Rangers and they are taking a serious gamble on the Champions League. ‌ You can't blame fans for starting to get worried. Don't get me wrong, there are good players at Celtic who are proven winners. But this squad is fragile. Daizen Maeda has become like Diego Maradona to this team as the prospect of him getting injured – or dare I say it sold – doesn't bear thinking about. Look, results like the other night against Ajax don't matter. The same way the wins against Newcastle and Sporting Lisbon didn't matter either. ‌ I've been part of sides that have won these bounce games and been thumped as well. There are a million factors at play but they are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. I said last week the Sporting win was the worst result for Rodgers because it papered over some of the cracks. That's why the Ajax one might be a GOOD thing for Celtic. At least now no one can kid themselves on that everything is hunky dory. ‌ People can call it a wake up call or a reality check but they've already had those. They got it before the end of last season when Rodgers was critical of some of the squad being too comfortable. ‌ There was another one in the Scottish Cup Final when they lost to Aberdeen. That can happen on a one-off day but the warning signs had been there for weeks. It was still a successful season but you can't deny it finished on a downer – and the summer has only added to the mood of supporters. There is some time to sort it out, and there will be business done, but it does beggars belief that they are a week out from the league kick-off and in the same old movie once again. Celtic should have been building from a position of strength not leaving supporters feeling they are weaker and if they don't get a move on it could be more costly than any transfer fee.

Benjamin Nygren reveals the superstar comparison that has followed him as deciding Celtic transfer factor named
Benjamin Nygren reveals the superstar comparison that has followed him as deciding Celtic transfer factor named

Daily Record

time10 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Benjamin Nygren reveals the superstar comparison that has followed him as deciding Celtic transfer factor named

The Swede has made an instant impression on the Hoops' faithful with his pre-season performances Benjamin Nygren is surprisingly down to earth for a kid who was a Swedish teenage sensation who drew comparisons with Big Head himself. ‌ The Celtic ace has remained humble and he's convinced being thrust into the spotlight as a school boy will help him handle the heat of playing for the Hoops. ‌ Nygren has settled in quickly at Celts and already looks like a summer steal after being picked up from Nordsjaelland for just £1.7m. ‌ But it shouldn't come as a surprise. This is a guy who takes most things in his stride – even being talked about in the same breath as Zlatan Ibrahimovic – nicknamed Big Head in his homeland – when he was still eating lunch in the school canteen. Nygren was rated as one of the hottest properties in Europe when he burst onto the scene at Gothenburg, performing week in, week out in Sweden while he was still studying for his exams. A big money move to Genk Belgium at just 17-years-old might have been a wrong turn but the 24-year-old got back on track and ready for anything that comes next. He didn't lose the head with the Zlatan stuff and will keep his cool with the Hoops. Nygren said: 'Yeah, I noticed those stories (back then). But I always just tried to focus on my football. 'I made my debut when I was 16 but it wasn't until I was 17 that I started to do well. ‌ 'I was at high school at the time. It was a huge thing, of course, but I always had that view in front of me when I was a young kid. 'I think most kids who play football have the same dream. 'But when I was very young I had a clear view that I wanted to be a professional football player. ‌ 'When anyone asked me what I wanted to be I would always say a professional football player. 'They would then say, 'but what if you don't become a professional football player?' ‌ 'But I would say, 'I WILL become a professional.' 'I have always had that focus and clear view in front of me and have been working so hard from a young age to fulfil it. 'When I was younger, I always had big dreams. ‌ 'That was to play for the Swedish national team and play in the biggest competitions for both my country and my club. I have always had that dream. 'And that's the dream I am chasing every day. I am working as hard as I can to go as far as possible.' Nygren is gearing up for Flag Day at Celtic Park next weekend but won't be overawed. ‌ He's slotted in with Celts like he's been at the club for years and was impressive again in his run out against Ajax in Como on Thursday, even though the wh eels came off the Hoops by the end in the 5-1 friendly wake up call. He said: 'I have learned a lot through the years. The first time I played in front of a big audience was in Gothenburg when I was 16. 'That's a club that also has a lot of fans and very good fans. I had a really good relationship with them. ‌ 'So I have played in front of big crowds a lot of times, even though I am still pretty young. 'I have learned a lot during my years. For me, mindset is one of the biggest parts of being in sports in general. That's all sports including football. 'Maybe at 16 I had a good mental focus. But I have also learned a lot in the eight years since then and that includes the ups and the downs. It's been very healthy.' ‌ Nygren is ready for the next step – and he's convinced he's in safe hands at Celtic under Brendan Rodgers. He said: 'I have only got really, really good impressions of him. 'We had really good contact and he was a big part of why I came here. I had a really good talk with him before I signed. ‌ 'He didn't have to sell Celtic to me – I know about Celtic and how big it is. Of course, it was a big decision. 'I am still pretty young. I was 23 when I signed and I'm already 24! 'Probably I will have my best years ahead so I wanted to come to a big club that plays in the biggest competitions and Celtic have everything. I will play in front of 60,000 every home game and that's going to be amazing. ‌ 'I think it's a brilliant part of my development. 'I am looking forward so much to playing at Paradise in front of all of the fans.' Nygren didn't need to do much research on Celts. It helped being pals with the son of one of the club's all-time greats. ‌ The playmaker is part of the Sweden set up with Jordan Larsson – Henrik's lad – and he said: 'Last time I spoke with him was when we were with the national team a month ago. 'Of course, I know about his dad - the King of Kings, right?! 'I have seen many YouTube clips of him scoring a lot of goals for Celtic. 'I haven't met Henrik but Jordan is an amazing guy and he is also doing very well in his career. 'There was always some talk about Celtic and it's never too late, you know! 'But that's not my job – that's for the Sporting Director!'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store