MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City celebrates his team's second goal scored by teammate Jeremy Doku (not pictured) during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City celebrates his team's second goal scored by teammate Jeremy Doku (not pictured) during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester City and SSC Napoli at City of Manchester Stadium on September 18, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The French oppress have been critical of Paris Saint-Germain and head coach Luis Enrique for their decision to part ways with Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma over the summer, as his replacement, Lucas Chevalier, struggles to live up to expectations.
PSG and Enrique criticism after Donnarumma sale
Donnarumma spent four years in Paris, and had been a vital part of the squad that won the club’s first ever Champions League title at the end of the 2024-25 season.
He entered into the final year of his contract with PSG in the summer, and with no agreement in place over an extension, the cluballowed him to leave for Manchester City for a cut-price fee of €27m, and turned instead to Chevalier, who came in at a total cost of €55m.
Gianluigi Donnarumma poses with his Manchester City shirt (@mancity)
Gianluigi Donnarumma poses with his Manchester City shirt (@mancity)
Since then, Donnarumma has fit in seamlessly to Pep Guardiola’s side in Manchester, despite the fact that City had already brought in a new goalkeeper in James Trafford earlier in the summer transfer window.
PSG supporters, meanwhile, are less satisfied with their current first choice between the sticks, despite sitting at the top of the Champions League standings after the first three matches of the season.
The press in Francehave also been critical of PSG and their decision to sell Donnarumma in order to make way for Chevalier, with both l’Equipe and Le Parisien condemning the club’s decision over the summer.
One report claims that Donnarumma is currently the best goalkeeper in the world, and that PSG would not have won the Champions League without him last season.
epa12148313 Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of PSG and Italy celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano, in Munich, Germany 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF
epa12148313 Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnnarumma of PSG celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Internazionale Milano, in Munich, Germany 31 May 2025. EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHER NEUNDORF
Luis Enrique has also been criticised individually, as outlets in France claim that he had ‘endorsed’ the signing of Chevalier for most of the 2024-25 season, and that he effectively pushed Donnarumma out of the PSG squad, resulting in Donnarumma being left off the club’s Super Cup squad before he left to join Man City.
As things stand, Chevalier is currently conceding more than twice as many goals as Donnarumma is at club level. The Frenchman has conceded 13 from 12 competetive appearances this term, while the Italian has only let in four across his first eight club matches of the season.
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