Former Juventus Winger Douglas Costa Set For Breathtaking Move to Italy’s Fourth Division
Chievo Verona are close to being Douglas Costa's seventh club.
Charlie Rhodes
Updated on 15 January 2026
Ex-Juventus forward Douglas Costa is close to sealing a sensational return to Italy; this time in the fourth division.
Having enjoyed a successful loan spell in Turin in 2017-18, Douglas Costa signed permanently the following year and spent four years at Juventus.
Now 35, Costa has sampled a host of leagues across the globe, returning to his native Brazil with boyhood club Gremio and Fluminese, before most recently enjoying a season-long spell at Sydney FC in Australia.
However, he now looks set for a surprise move back to Italy in the twilight of his career.
Douglas Costa Set For Move to Chievo Verona
Chievo Verona, who ply their trade in Italy’s Serie D, have offered Costa an initial six-month loan before shipping him off to another club under their ownership.
Pietro Laterza is president at both Chievo Verona and Mario Balotelli’s new club Al Ittifaq, who are based in Dubai.
With that latest addition, Al Ittifaq have now run out of available slots for foreign players.
This means Douglas Costa will spend six months at Chievo, seeing the current Serie D season out before departing for Dubai in the summer.
Costa is currently without an employer after his contract in Sydney ran out in September. Despite a relatively successful season in Australia, where he racked up six goals and eight assists in 25 matches, the Brazilian is now eager for a new challenge.
🚨 Tutto confermato! Douglas Costa si avvicina sempre più al trasferimento al Chievo Verona, anticipato nella serata di ieri. Il brasiliano ha raggiunto l’accordo verbale con i veneti: si aspettano le firme. @SkySport
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) January 15, 2026
What Happened to Chievo Verona?
Chievo, who were in Serie A as recently as 2019, have suffered several financial-induced relegations since. They failed to prove their financial viability in 2021 after missed tax payments, and were expelled from competing in Serie B.
Having splintered into two different teams after failing to register for the Serie D season, Sergio Pellissier and the owners of Clivense successfully acquired the crest and naming rights of the original club in an auction in 2024.
Now on the comeback trail with an exciting new ownership, their current squad includes 38-year-old journeyman Eros Pisano – who played for Palermo during their Serie A stint – and Alberto Paloschi, who is formerly of AC Milan and Parma, but also a former Chievo hero with over 140 appearances.
Charlie Rhodes
Charlie has built a deep portfolio across a wealth of sports websites, with a heavy focus on Europe's top five leagues. He has a long-standing interest in Serie A having grown up watching Football Italia on Channel 4 as a child. With extensive experience tailored towards news, long-form content and heavily researched features, Charlie has also garnered experience in several roles in the fintech and marketing sector.
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