256. Donato Gama

Donato Gama - 289.06 Performance Pts

Born: 30/12/1962    Rio De Janeiro, Brazil                       

Position: Central Defender     Height: 1.78m    Weight: 80kg

Born in Brazil, Donato first arrived in La Liga with Atletico Madrid in 1988, having previously played for club sides in his country of birth. He played at the top level in Spain for the next 15 years, and also represented the Spanish national side 12 times, having obtained Spanish citizenship in 1990. After 5 years in the capital, he moved to Deportivo La Coruna. The Galicians missed out on La Liga success in 1994 and 1995, finished runners up both times. The 1994 season was particularly heart-breaking. A win against Valencia on the final day would have clinched the title. Deportivo were awarded a penalty, but Donato, the regular penalty-taker, had been substituted. The miss by Miroslav Dukic meant the match finished in a draw and allowed Barcelona to pip them. They finally secured their first (and so far, only) league title in 2000, and 2 more 2nd place finishes were achieved over the next 2 seasons - this was truly a golden age in the club's history. He was 41 when he retired, in 2003, having played over 450 times in La Liga. Only full management experience came whilst coaching in the beautiful Galician town of Viveiro.




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Players 260-251

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