Donnarumma and Milan, Still An Open Case
Thumbnail Photograph: Alberto Lingria/Reuters
It all began over the past summer, when Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma isolated himself into a sort of "personal bubble" giving exclusive priority to his national team's campaign at Euro2020, postponing any decision about his, at the time, blurry future.
Given his young age — Donnarumma is still 22 years old, having played his first match in Italian Serie A only at the age of 16 — some might have claimed that being able to focus solely on the soccer pitch, while outside rumors about offers from the most prestigeous clubs in Europe were wildly circulating, would have been impossible.
Donnarumma proved them all completely mistaken, experiencing Italy's triumphal run to the trophy as an indisputable protagonist, saving two penalties in the tournament final against England, and being elected, as the culmination of his sensational performances, "Player of the Tournament."
Donnarumma hypnotizes Jadon Sancho’s penalty in Euro 2020 final penalty shootout. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
However, once he sobered up the joy for the wild celebrations, Donnarumma found himself in front of a complicated crossroad.
Renewing his contract with Milan, the team where it all started, and embarking on a journey to become an emblem of the "Rossoneri," or, instead, going free-agent and accepting the courtship of one of the most ambitious and competitive teams in the soccer universe such as Paris Saint Germain?
"Gigio" eventually opted for a new adventure under the Tour Eiffel.
The reactions by Milan's supporters were far from kind and supportive.
Donnarumma — accused of putting the "cold" money (€7 million a year, to be exact) over a most romantic and grateful attitude toward the team that first believed in him — was targeted with insults and threats on all his social media accounts.
However, once both the Ligue 1 in France and the Serie A in Italy restarted in September, the two parts had apparently started to get over their complicated breakup.
At Milan, Donnarumma's heritage was picked up by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, from Lille (paradoxically, the team that dethroned Paris Saint Germain of the Ligue 1 title in the past season.)
Maignan neutralizes Mohamed Salah’s score attempt in the Champions League group stage. Photograph: Peter Powell / Ansa
With superb performances and unbelievable saves, it took no time for Maignan to wash Donnarumma's memories away from Rossoneri's supporters.
On the other hand, the transition for Donnarumma was a little more intricate due to the dualism, a nice term to define what in reality is "competition," with long-standing Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Donnarumma is now fighting his way, finding more and more occasions as the starting goalkeeper in an All-Star team such as Paris Saint Germain.
So, everyone for themselves? Not exactly.
A few days ago, in an interview with the Italian sports newspaper "La Gazzetta Dello Sport," Donnarumma reopened the wound between himself and Milan's supporter that his transfer created.
"Everyone blames me, without considering what happened on the other side," Gigio declared.
Donnarumma, in one of his first appearances in Serie A. Photograph: ANSA
"The only thing I can say is that I've received one last phone call from the club to communicate that they had bought another goalkeeper. That's how it ended."
Basically, Donnarumma accuses Milan of going after, and eventually signing, a new goalkeeper, notifying Donnarumma once the deal was secured, forcing him to look for a different "accommodation."
Shortly after these declarations, Milan replied to Donnarumma through the words of the team's director of football Frederic Massara:
"We called him as a courtesy gesture after he refused our proposals," Massara claimed at the Italian sports website Sportsmediaset.
"We've informed him we've been forced to look for another goalkeeper, and it seemed correct to call him before officializing the signing of a new one."
While waiting for the next episode of this long and turbulent telenovela, what is undoubtedly clear is that the one between Donnarumma and Milan is still an open case.