MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact announced on Monday that Italian defensive midfielder Marco Donadel has joined the club. The agreement will be finalized upon receipt of his international transfer certificate and his visa. As per MLS policy, details of the deal were not disclosed.
Donadel, 31, has spent his whole career in Italy, playing a total of 244 games and 17,136 minutes with six clubs in Serie A, Italian first division, between 2001 and 2014.
“We are pleased to add Marco to our roster,” said Impact head coach and director of player personnel Frank Klopas. “He will bring a lot of experience and leadership to our team, as well as quality in the middle of the field. He has the right mentality and character going forward for next season and Champions League.”
“I am very pleased with this opportunity to join the Impact,” said Donadel. “Since the first training session in Montreal, the club made me feel like a part of their family. Throughout this process, I felt like the Impact really wanted me to be a part of the team. I would like to thank all those who helped make this possible. I am really looking forward to January to get this adventure started.”
Donadel played 184 regular season games with ACF Fiorentina, 11 UEFA Champions League games, 15 UEFA Cup games and 14 Coppa Italia games from 2005 to 2011.
He notably took part in the friendly matchup between Fiorentina and the Impact on May 23, 2010, at Stade Saputo.
After six seasons and a half in Florence, he joined S.S.C. Napoli in June 2011, helping the club win the Coppa Italia in 2012. He played four Serie A games, eight UEFA Cup games and two Coppa Italia games with the team.
Most recently, he scored one goal in 23 games with Hellas Verona during the 2013/14 season, and played in one Coppa Italia game, after being loaned to the team by Napoli.
Donadel has worn the captain’s armband during his stay with ACF Fiorentina and Hellas Verona.
Native of Conegliano, in the Venetian region of Italy, he spent two years with the A.C. Milan Academy, from 1998 to 2000, before making his professional debut with the Rossoneri on March 4, 2001, against Parma. He also played in one UEFA Cup game and one Coppa Italia game during his time with Milan.
He also spent time with Parma and Sampdoria, in Serie A, and Lecce, in Serie B, throughout his career.
Internationally, Donadel was team captain of the Italian U21 national team, with whom he won the 2004 UEFA U21 European Championship, in Germany. That year, he also won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Athens. He played 31 games with the U21 selection, after representing Italy with the U15, U17, U19 and U20 selections.
He was named to the Cavalieri Ordine al merito della Repubblica italiana in Rome, on September 27, 2004.
MARCO DONADEL
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’10
Weight: 160 lbs.
Date of Birth: April 21, 1983, Conegliano, Italy
Citizenship: Italy
Last Club: S.S.C. Napoli (Italy)
Acquired: December 1, 2014
