Gianluigi Donnarumma
Manchester City‘s Gianluigi Donnarumma has gone through a difficult past few weeks.
The goalkeeper has now vowed to make a fresh start.
Donnarumma was a key part of the Italy squad which failed to make it to the World Cup. Bosnia knocked the Azzurri out on penalties, despite the 26-year-old being a well-regarded shot-stopper.
He was also involved in a scrap after the game, adding fuel to the fire.
It is natural that Italy’s struggles will take a toll on their most important players. The Manchester City player has now opened up on his mental state and how the past two weeks have been for him.
Manchester City player impacted by crisis
Donnarumma spoke to Sky Italia about the Azzurri, revealing that he couldn’t digest the World Cup failure for many days.
“In the first few days, I had a hard time digesting it, but the truth is that we need to start over, move forward, and react.”
He urged everyone to move on and focus on qualification for the 2030 edition of the tournament.
“Now we have to move forward because, in recent years, despite the disappointments, we’ve achieved important things. We have to react. It’s tough, but we need to move forward with strength and with the knowledge that Italy will return to greatness.”
At the same time, the Manchester City player also hit back at claims that Italy stars were demanding a bonus before the Bosnia tie. He stated that he didn’t ask for a single penny from the Italian football federation (FIGC).
“As captain, I never asked for a single euro from the Italian national team. What the national team does, as in every competition, is give a gift to the players who qualify for a tournament.”
Detailing his disappointment further, he said: “That’s all. No one ever asked for anything from the federation: our gift was to go to the World Cup, and we didn’t make it. What came out hurt me. I repeat, no one ever asked for any bonuses.”
Donnarumma’s leadership shines through
The fact that Donnarumma was trusted to speak about the problems in Italy shows that he is now seen as one of the most responsible players in the team. His reliability goes beyond the pitch and he is a real leader of the side.
That is quite positive for Manchester City, who have no doubts about his qualities. He has made vital saves in the Premier League, playing a role in keeping them in the title race.
Pep Guardiola’s side would hope that he has recovered from the disappointment with Italy. They have silverware to win and can’t afford a slip-up from a leader of the squad.