Massimo Donati has been appointed head coach of Sampdoria as they once again hand the reins to a former player.

Donati, who was a midfielder, had a loan spell with the Blucerchiati during the 2003-04 season when he was on the books of AC Milan.

He succeeds Alberico Evani, who took charge in April alongside Attilio Lombardo. The pair represented Sampdoria as players during their glory days and were at the helm as they avoided relegation to Serie C by winning the play-out against Salernitana.

It signalled a great escape for the club as they had initially been sent down, having finished in 18th place, only to be saved by Brescia’s points deduction.

It was a chaotic end to a season with far more downs than ups as Sampdoria won only eight games from 38 and went through a string of managers.

Andrea Pirlo was in charge when they kicked off the campaign but he was quickly replaced by Andrea Sottil, who then made way for Leonardo Semplici, who in turn was shown the door before Evani and Lombardo stepped in.

Now it’s Donati’s turn and the 44-year-old had a message for supporters. In an interview on the club’s YouTube channel, he said: “You’re getting a coach who’s hungry, driven, and eager to make his mark. And those same traits need to be passed on to the team.

“The main goal is that the team, coach, squad, all of us, we need to pull everyone together. That’s key because if we can become one unit, club, technical staff, players, and fans, then I believe we can achieve great things.

“We will give it our all: great commitment, dedication, and hard work to have a great season.”

Donati came through the ranks at Atalanta before joining AC Milan. From there he went on loan to Parma and Torino before arriving at the Luigi Ferraris. Further loan spells followed at Messina and back at Atalanta before he moved to Scotland and won the league and League Cup with Celtic.

Donati has also represented Bari, Palermo, Verona, Hamilton and St Mirren. But speaking of his Sampdoria days, in an interview published on the club website in 2021, he said: “Sampdoria, for me, is synonymous with beauty. I only lived in Genoa for one year, but it was fantastic. The stadium, the city, the shirt, and the fans were beautiful. There was everything you could possibly need to do and feel good, and for all these reasons, Sampdoria means great memories to me.”

Since hanging up his boots Donati has been in charge of Sambenedettese and Legnago Salus further down the Italian football pyramid before a brief spell in Greece as Athens Kallithea manager.

Jesper Fredberg, who has worked with Anderlecht, Panathinaikos, Omonia Nicosia and Viborg, has joined as CEO.