Giulio Donati, the 34-year-old Italian defender currently a free agent after four seasons with Monza, recently spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about his football journey, from his brief stint at Inter Milan to his time in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
Donati’s Inter experience, though short, left a lasting impression. He fondly remembers Marco Materazzi taking him under his wing: “He liked me. He appreciated my aggressive side in training. I never gave up. When I arrived in the summer of 2008, I was just a kid who had played one pro game with Lucchese in Serie C, but I trained at full throttle and absorbed every piece of advice. Marco treated me like I was his little brother.”
The young defender’s first encounter with the senior team was memorable, particularly his interactions with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “In 2008-09, I was training with the youth team, but one day Rivas got injured and they needed a center-back. Mourinho approached the field and called a random guy to cover his absence, of course it was me. I found myself playing in an unfamiliar role, that of central defender, and marking Zlatan. In ten minutes he filled me with blows.”
Donati also recalled a stern talking-to from Jose Mourinho after his only appearance for Inter: “The day after playing my only game with Inter, in the cup against Livorno in 2009, I got a scolding from Mourinho. Because I left the field too quickly. With ten minutes to go, I asked for a substitution due to cramps, but I took little time to reach the bench. The next day he explained that I should have done it walking and not running, because I would have gained precious seconds. We were only winning 1-0. He has always been a strategist.”
His career took him to Bayer Leverkusen, where he formed a close friendship with Hakan Calhanoglu. “We lived in Cologne, not far from Leverkusen, and were always together. I remember our free-kick duels, where in the end… I won.” Donati jokingly added, “Yes, but only because I was in goal! He liked to joke and boast about his remote-controlled right foot that drove goalkeepers all over Germany crazy, and indeed it was so, so one day I presented him with a challenge: ‘I’ll go in goal, let’s see how many goals you score…’. He only scored two out of ten attempts. We had bet he would score at least three.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter match, Donati predicts a tough game where individual brilliance could make the difference. He highlights players to watch: “I’d say Schick, Frimpong, and Grimaldo. He and Dimarco are the best full-backs in Europe at the moment.”
Reflecting on his career’s sliding doors moments, Donati mentioned: “In 2016, when I was at Mainz, I was about to go to Napoli, but the club said no. While the following year Brighton approached, but that didn’t work out either. It’s the only regret I have.”
Despite being currently without a club, Donati remains optimistic about his future: “I train every day, physically I’m fine. In the summer I had some requests from abroad, but I’d like to stay in Italy. I’m looking for a stimulating challenge.”
