Now retired, Massimo Donati is working as a manager at Legnago in Italy, and is often spoken to for all Scotland related matters in Italy, which tend to be about Celtic.
As Brendan Rodgers’ men prepare to face Lazio in Rome on Tuesday, the 42-year-old sat down with Gazzetta dello Sport for a brief chat ahed of the game, where he told their readers that Kyogo Furuhashi was the man to look out for as most dangerous.
Aside from that, the newspaper also decided to look back on the former midfielder’s career, which included a two year stint at Celtic between 2007 and 2009.
Recalling that he was 26 years old at the time and had just returned to AC Milan from a loan at Atalanta, he reveals that it was Andriy Shevchenko who ‘offered’ him to Celtic.
He continued: “I didn’t know the club well, but as soon as I arrived, I realised how well known it was worldwide. On the pitch, I gave everything, and so the fans immediately appreciated me. Furthermore, in the Champions League, I scored a goal at Celtic Park against Shakhtar, which was decisive for qualifying to the round of 16.
“With Celtic, I won a national title and the Scottish League Cup. Yes, it was the best period of my career, including the emotions of playing in a stadium like Celtic Park.”
Donati then explains why he returned to Scotland in 2016, as it was to help him get his UEFA Licence to manager, as he had stints with Hamilton and St Mirren before fully retiring in 2018.
