Claudio Donatelli

Highly Experienced Fitness, Performance & Athletic Development Coach

• An accomplished Fitness Coach specialising in maximising functional performance within football having worked across various elite environments in England, and Qatar. Possesses a strong track record in engaging with international calibre players to ensure they are motivated and physically prepared to compete at the required level.

• Combines expertise within performance and modern training patterns with knowledge in technical football coaching, psychology and nutrition to design and implement effective development and injury management programmes tailored to both individual players and the team as a whole. A forward thinking, engaging and driven presence as part of coordinated a backroom staff who works pro-actively to build team spirit and achieve desired results on the pitch.

• Now keen to apply this experience to a new position with scope to tangibly impact a team’s ability to compete in the modern game, offering a knowledgeable and visible point of leadership to players and staff alike. COACHING & PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS

NSCA - Italy CSCS Certification (Pending) 2015 - Present DAN (Divers Alert Network) BLS-D Provider Certificate 2015 FIGC (Italian Football Federation) Football Coaching Certificate - Children 2000 FIT (Italian Tennis Federation) Tennis Coaching Certificate - Elite Players 2000 FIGC Certificate in Fitness Coaching 1999 FIT Certificate in Fitness Coaching 1999 IUSM University of Sport BSc: Physical Education Teaching & Coaching 1998

FOOTBALL PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE

Qatar Sports Club Head of First Team Fitness & Performance Jul 2015 - Present Sunderland AFC Head of First Team Fitness & Performance Mar 2013 - Nov 2013 Swindon Town FC Head of First Team Fitness & Performance Jul 2011 - Feb 2013 ASD Reggina Calcio U20 Fitness Coach Jul 2010 - Jun 2011 Atletico Roma FC First Team & Youth Team Fitness Coach Jul 2007 - Jun 2010 PAOK Thessaloniki FC Head of First Team Fitness & Performance Jul 2006 - May 2007 Head of First Team Fitness & Performance Jan 2006 - Jun 2006 SS Lazio First Team Assistant Fitness Coach Jul 2003 - Jun 2004 U12 - U18 Athletic Development Coach Jul 1998 - Jun 2003

Overview of Roles • Lead the daily delivery of an optimised fitness programme design to maximise functional performance and individual athleticism through football-specific movements on the field, in the gym and in the swimming pool • Use cutting edge injury prevention techniques to effectively predict and resolve potential injuries before they occur • Manage individual player rehabilitation programmes, facilitating their return-to-play through tailored exercises, positive encouragement and a strong biomechanical understanding of physical demands in football • Employ a variety of modern training patterns - HIIT, small-sided games, functional movement training, strength & power sessions, agility & speed drills, etc. - to keep the players engaged and focused on their individual development • Provide effective match-day fitness support, leading warm-ups and cool downs • Undertake sufficient performance analysis using tools such as GPS, Prozone, Polar System, video analysis, etc. • Tailor techniques to the specific requirements of young players from U10 - U18 level when required, improving their physical performance without having a detrimental impact on their growth • R emain aware of innovations made within football and other sports to in turn improve best practice standards at the club, driving the application of enhanced performance, injury prevention and post-injury conditioning techniques in the senior and youth teams • Adapt to cultural and personal differences within international squads with respect and understanding

Key Achievements 4 Joined Sunderland with the club in the bottom two of the Premier League and only eight games to play, helping to significantly improve the team’s performance to secure their Premier League status 4 Won the League Two title with Swindon in 2011/12 to seal promotion to League One, before reaching the League One promotion play-off semi-finals the very next season. Also reached the final of the 2011/12 Football League Trophy 4 Won the 2003/04 with Lazio, beating Juventus 4-2 on aggregate in the final 4 Currently sharing information and building knowledge through regular interactions with the Aspire Academy in Doha, a global leader in the field of football research KEY MANAGERS & PLAYER WORKED WITH

Claudio has worked with a number of well-known managers in the game, in “Claudio was part of my staff when I was turn diversifying his own knowledge and perspective on how to best maximise Manager of SS Lazio and we won the performance levels. These managers include: 2004 Italia Cup. Claudio has shown a deep understanding of his work and the ability Paolo di Canio Sebastião Lazaroni to follow top-level athletes and help them Ilie Dumitrescu Domenico Caso to improve their performance. He is a polite person and very focused on his job.”

Roberto Mancini Inter Manager

Sunderland AFC: John O’Shea (Premier League & UEFA Champions League Winner; Republic of Ireland International); Wes Brown (Premier League & UEFA Champions League Winner; England International Swindon Town FC: Matt Ritchie (English Championship Winner; Scotland International) PAOK FC: Theo Zagorakis (2004 UEFA European Championships Winner & Player of the Tournament; Greek International) Ternana Calcio: Antonio Candreva (Coppa Italia Winner; Italy International); Mario Frick (Most Capped Liechtenstein Player Ever) SS Lazio: Jaap Stam (Premier League & UEFA Champions League Winner; Netherlands international); Dejan Stanković ( & UEFA Champions League Winner; Serbia International); Siniša Mihajlović (Serie A Winner; Yugoslavia International)

A testimonial is available upon request from John O’Shea - Sunderland AFC & Former Manchester United FC Player | Republic of Ireland International

FOOTBALL PERFORMANCE PHILOSOPHY

Through work in Italy, England and Qatar in football and other sports, Claudio has developed a well-rounded philosophy on football and the modern Fitness Coach’s role within a team. Applicable to any team or club, this philosophy incorporates:

Champion’s Approach: Across all professional sport it is critical to think about what makes a champion. Within football, this principle is based around the attitude and desire of the players. There must be a high quality of practice every day - practice of the movements and behaviours demanded to be successful in football. The Fitness Coach is an important figure in this process, not only ensuring the players practice in a way that delivers tangible improvement, but also helping to foster a winning attitude throughout a squad.

Modern Coaching Methods: Football is continuously evolving and is vastly different from a fitness and performance perspective than it was 10 years ago. It’s therefore essential to use an innovative approach when focusing on each player’s specific strength and movement training in order to optimise their performance safely and with a balance between short and long term goals. Claudio possesses vast experience in perfecting football specific movements both in the field and in the gym and is continuously working to improve his knowledge through pro-active self-research.

Team Spirit: Focused on building strong relationships throughout a club - from the players, to the coaches to the medical staff - as positive team spirit can be the difference between winning and losing. Listens to each player’s need and works extensively one-to- one in order to drive growth in their performance and attitude. Open-minded to new ideas and flexible to the requirements of a team to help foster a collective team environment and purpose. MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS

Click on any of the following links to see videos of Claudio working with his players:

Sunderland AFC Qatar SC 2015 Qatar SC 2015 Power Session Pre-Season 1 Pre-Season 2

• Published the book Il Movimento Specifico Funzionale per il Calcio (Specific Functional Movement for Football) in 2012 (Ed. Calzetti & Mariucci) - a practice guide to improve football players’ movements, speed and agility featuring a specialised chapter on improving functional power and strength (click here or here for more information) • The book was nominated by the Editor as the 2012 Best Seller in football physical training

“Claudio is a great fitness coach and developed within an important Italian school. Claudio then increased his large knowledge with fundamental international experiences. He has qualities and skills that can help any club to improve their athletes and reduce their injury risk.” Ivan Carminati - FC Head of Fitness & Performance | Former Manchester FC, England National Team & SS Lazio Fitness Coach

ADDITIONAL COACHING EXPERIENCE

FIDAL - Italian Athletic Olympic Team Athletic Development Coach (Silvia Salis) Oct 2014 - Jun 2015 FKILKAM - Italian Judo Olympic Team Head of Physical Performance (Senior & Junior) Oct 2014 - Jun 2015 IUSM University of Sport Tennis Teacher Oct 1999 - Jun 2003 Voluntary Assistant Oct 1998 - Jun 2000

Silvia Salis Athletic Development Coach • Worked as the Personal Fitness Coach for Silvia Salis, an Olympic hammer throw athlete • Planned and led Salis’s full strength & conditioning programme in the gym and on the track, building her functional strength and power through barbell and free weight movements with perfect technique • Worked to improve Salis’s sport specific coordination, stability and proprioception to minimise the risk of injury Italian Judo Head of Physical Performance • Created and implemented an effective injury prevention and post-injury conditioning plan within Italian judo - one of the most dangerous Olympic sports - with new injury risk assessments and efficient functional activities • Led age appropriate warm-ups, endurance drills, strength sessions, agility drills, power exercises, cool-downs, etc. • Improved individual athlete athleticism, coordination and flexibility Key Achievements 4 Silvia Salis won the Hammer Throw Italian Championship after four months of extensive preparation and functional hard work PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS

Programme Management: Proven record in the coordination of multi-team performance plans tailored to different age groups and competition levels, ensuring best practice processes are in place to drive tangible and sustainable biomechanical improvements in each player’s match specific movement patterns, power, agility and overall confidence in their physical strengths.

Professional Adaptability: Has successfully transitioned between top flight positions in Italy, England and Qatar through a natural enthusiasm and passion for understanding cultural differences and team goals at each club. Able to excel within varying staff structures as evidenced by his success with a number of different managers.

Communication: Works to establish productive relationships throughout a club through strong interpersonal and man management skills. Appreciates the importance of positivity when liaising with players - particularly during periods of injury - and seeks input from other staff in order to create an inclusive working environment. Speaks native Italian and is fluent in spoken and written English.

IT Skills: Experienced in the daily use of StatSport (GPS technology) and Polar Pro Trainer to monitor athletes’ heart rates and training load; Kinovea and BioMore for Video Analysis; and MS Excel to manage and visualize test data. Also familiar with the majority of other MS and Mac OS X programmes.