Douglas Costa leaves Chievo to join Al Ittifaq alongside Balotelli
Quick summary
Former Juventus winger Douglas Costa has officially departed Chievo to sign for Saudi club Al Ittifaq, where he will link up with Mario Balotelli.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceFormer Juventus man Douglas Costa has now left Serie D side Chievo and will unite with Mario Balotelli at Al Ittifaq.
Douglas Costa had surprised everyone when signing for Chievo Verona, who were forced to begin again from Serie D following bankruptcy.
The Brazilian made the decision after experiences at Gremio, Bayern Munich, Juventus and the LA Galaxy, because he was out of contract in January 2026.
Douglas Costa strange career path TURIN, ITALY – JULY 20: Douglas Costa (L) of Juventus is challenged by Danilo Cataldi of SS Lazio during the Serie A match between Juventus and SS Lazio at Allianz Stadium on July 20, 2020 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) It was not just a training exercise, as he played 11 games for Chievo, contributing one assist.
However, he has now put pen to paper with Al Ittifaq , where he will reunite with good friend Balotelli.
It was Balotelli who initially helped get the deal with Chievo done , acting as a go-between with director Andrea Fulco.
This is also because Italian entrepreneur Pietro Laterza owns both Chievo and Al Ittifaq.
It was always the plan to essentially ‘park’ Douglas Costa with the Italian team until June, when the slots would open up to sign new foreign players in Dubai.
That’s not all, as Sky Sport Italia report another new signing for Al Ittifaq could be Enock Barwuah, Balotelli’s brother, who currently plays for Serie D side Desenzano.
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What happened
Douglas Costa, who previously starred at Juventus and Bayern Munich, has completed a move from Serie B side Chievo to Saudi Pro League club Al Ittifaq. The Brazilian attacker had been without a club for much of the period before his brief Chievo stint and now joins a team that already features Mario Balotelli. The transfer marks another notable name heading to the Saudi league as it continues to attract high-profile international talent.
Chance analysis
This is a low-impact transfer for European football. Douglas Costa has been well past his peak for several years and his move to the Saudi Pro League has no bearing on competitive balance in Serie A or European competitions. The story is primarily relevant as a marker of the Saudi league's continued recruitment of recognizable names, though Costa is a diminished star compared to his Juventus heyday.
Minimal effect on European football; Al Ittifaq gain a veteran but declining Brazilian winger alongside Balotelli.
A fringe transfer to the Saudi league; no impact on European match predictions or competitive analysis.