Donato (footballer)

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Donato
DonatoGamadaSilva.jpg
Donato in 2025
Personal information
Full name Donato Gama da Silva [1]
Date of birth (1962-12-30) 30 December 1962 (age 62) [1]
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) [1]
Position(s) Centre-back, midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1981–1982 America (RJ) 36 (1)
1983–1988 Vasco da Gama 49 (0)
1988–1993 Atlético Madrid 163 (11)
1993–2003 Deportivo La Coruña 303 (38)
Total551(50)
International career
1994–1996 Spain 12 (3)
Managerial career
2015–2016 Viveiro
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Donato Gama da Silva (born 30 December 1962), known simply as Donato, is a former professional football. Having begun as a central midfielder, he was later deployed as a central defender.

Contents

He spent most of his 22-year senior career in Spain – 589 competitive games and 68 goals – most notably with Deportivo de La Coruña, being part of the Super Depor squads that won several titles, including the 1999–2000 La Liga. He also held the record for most appearances in the competition by a player born outside of Spain, with 466. [2]

Born in Brazil, Donato represented Spain at Euro 1996. [3] [4]

Club career

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Donato began his career with America Football Club in his hometown, switching to neighbours CR Vasco da Gama in 1984 and remaining there the following four years, [5] [6] after which he joined Spain's Atlético Madrid as one of the first signings of elusive chairman Jesús Gil. [7] [8] With the Colchoneros, he won back-to-back Copa del Rey trophies [9] [10] and totalled 197 appearances. [11]

Donato moved to Deportivo de La Coruña in summer 1993. alongside players like Bebeto, Mauro Silva, Miroslav Đukić and Fran, he was crucial to the team's firm establishment in both La Liga and European competitions, as he scored an impressive 18 league goals over his first two seasons, often from free kicks, one of his main assets. [12] He continued to feature heavily for the Galicians subsequently, helping the club win two domestic cups and the historic 1999–2000 national championship (netting three times in 29 games); [13] [14] during his spell at the Estadio Riazor, he appeared in 393 matches and added 54 goals. [15]

On 19 January 2003, Donato scored a 50th-minute header in a 2–1 league win over Athletic Bilbao; in the process, at the age of 40 years and 20 days, he became the first-ever player to do so after his 40th birthday, thus becoming the oldest scorer in Spain's top-flight history by breaking a 43-year-old record held by FC Barcelona's César Rodríguez, who had achieved this with Elche CF in the 1959–60 season aged 39 years and 277 days. [2] [16] He extended this record four months later, when he equalised an eventual 2–1 loss against Valencia CF on 17 May. [2]

Donato began his coaching career in Greece, as assistant at Aris Thessaloniki FC. In 2008, he was appointed youth team manager of lowly Montañeros CF in the A Coruña region. [17]

On 4 November 2015, it was announced that Donato would take over as head coach of Viveiro CF in the Galician regional championships. [18]

International career

After becoming a citizen of Spain in 1990, [19] Donato was called to the national team, [20] and earned 12 caps in a two-year span. [21] His debut arrived on 16 November 1994, starting and scoring in a 3–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier win against Denmark at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium. [22]

Subsequently, Donato was called up for the squad at the final stages in England, making a substitute appearance in their opening draw with Bulgaria at Elland Road. [23]

Style of play

Donato was a strong but technical player, who was able both to destroy the opposition's attacks and to help generate his own team's. [24] He was also a reliable set-piece taker. [12]

Career statistics

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Donato goal. [25]
List of international goals scored by Donato
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
116 November 1994 Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, SpainFlag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 2–03–0 Euro 1996 qualifying
217 December 1994 Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels, Belgium Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 2–14–1Euro 1996 qualifying
318 January 1995 Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, SpainFlag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 2–22–2 Friendly

Honours

Atlético Madrid

Deportivo

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Donato at WorldFootball.net
  2. 1 2 3 "Paso a la historia a través del Athletic" [Step into history through Athletic]. La Opinión A Coruña (in Spanish). 16 October 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Torres, Diego (29 October 2013). "El fútbol y la 'españolía'" [Football and ‘Spanishness’]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  4. ↑ De la Riva, Mario (5 September 2016). "Los 11 jugadores nacidos fuera de España con más partidos" [The 11 players born outside of Spain with the most matches]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Lembra do Donato, ex-Vasco? Agora ele é técnico na quinta divisão espanhola" [Do you remember Donato, formerly of Vasco? He now coaches in the Spanish fifth division] (in Portuguese). Universo Online. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  6. ↑ Varona, Alfredo (2 July 2024). "Donato: «Una Atleta de Cristo me abrió una Biblia y entendí que ir al Deportivo era voluntad de Dios»" [Donato: "An Athlete of Christ opened up a Bible and I understood that going to Deportivo was God's will"] (in Spanish). Jot Down . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  7. ↑ González, José Damian (31 August 1988). "Gil presenta a Donato ante el Werder Bremen" [Gil presents Donato against Werder Bremen]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ↑ Miguélez, José (7 April 1993). "El bando de Gil" [Gil's posse]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  9. 1 2 Guasch, Tomás (30 June 1991). "Fiesta rojiblanca en el Bernabéu" [Red-and-white party at the Bernabéu]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Real Madrid-Atlético, seis finales y 4–2 para los rojiblancos" [Real Madrid-Atlético, six finals and 4–2 to the red-and-white]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 30 April 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  11. ↑ Cazón, Patricia (13 October 2025). "Donato celebra los 30 años de amor rojiblanco de La Bañeza" [Donato celebrates 30 years of red-and-white love from La Bañeza]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  12. 1 2 Iglesias, Julio César (8 May 1995). "El chueco de cobre" [The copper chueco]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  13. 1 2 Hermida, Xosé (20 May 2000). "Una noche que duró seis años" [One night that lasted six years]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "#ANosaHistoria: La Liga blanquiazul cumple 20 años" [#ANosaHistoria: White-and-blue League celebrates 20th birthday] (in Spanish). Deportivo La Coruña. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  15. ↑ Naranjo, María (27 August 2019). "Donato vuelve al Dépor" [Donato returns to Dépor] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  16. ↑ Arconada Lamsfus, Luis (23 January 2003). "Donato passes test of time". UEFA. Archived from the original on 24 April 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  17. ↑ Barreiros, Pedro (2 July 2012). "El Dépor, cantera de entrenadores" [Dépor, coaching quarry]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  18. ↑ D. Rolle, Iván; Meitín Buján, I. (4 November 2015). "Donato regresa al fútbol y asume las riendas del Viveiro" [Donato returns to football and takes charge of Viveiro]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "El jugador del Atlético Donato jura la Constitución española" [Atlético player Donato swears Spanish Constitution]. El País (in Spanish). 7 September 1990. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  20. ↑ Paradinas, Juan José (8 November 1994). "Clemente abre las puertas a los nacionalizados" [Clemente opens doors to naturalised]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  21. ↑ "España, una selección multicolor" [Spain, a multicoloured national team]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 9 October 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  22. ↑ Domènech, Joan (17 November 1994). "España pone proa hacia Inglaterra" [Spain hoist sail towards England]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  23. ↑ Domènech, Joan (10 June 1996). "Mediocre debut" [Mediocre debut]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  24. ↑ Ros, Cayetano (30 December 2002). "¿Quién jubila al abuelo?" [Who retires grandpa?]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  25. ↑ Donato at EU-Football.info
  26. ↑ Carbajosa, Carlos E. (28 June 1995). "Supertítulo" [Supertitle]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  27. ↑ "Quince años del Centenariazo" [Fifteen years from the Centenariazo]. La Opinión A Coruña (in Spanish). 6 March 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  28. ↑ Tejedor Carnicero, José Vicente; Torre, Raúl; Lozano Ferrer, Carles. "Spain – List of Super Cup Finals". RSSSF . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
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