Tag: Gianluigi Donnarumma

Italy Crash Out Again as Donnarumma Draws Backlash Over Shootout Antics

Gianluigi Donnarumma
April 2026

Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties, and Gianluigi Donnarumma came under heavy criticism for bizarre shootout behaviour. He had played well in the match itself, but the drama of the penalties overshadowed that effort. Reuters confirmed Italy lost 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, sending Bosnia to the tournament. Separate match reporting described Donnarumma fiddling with the Bosnia goalkeeper’s penalty notes before Italy’s first miss, which intensified the reaction after another qualification failure.

Arbeloa Hails Valverde as Real Madrid Benchmark After Hat-Trick Sinks Manchester City

Fede Valverde
March 2026

Alvaro Arbeloa praised Fede Valverde as the benchmark for what a Real Madrid player should be after the midfielder scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Manchester City. The coach said Valverde’s display set the standard after recent criticism of the team. Valverde struck three times in 22 minutes as Madrid overwhelmed City by cutting passing lanes and attacking space at the right moments. Arbeloa also highlighted the Bernabeu’s support for Vinicius Junior after a missed penalty and confirmed Ferland Mendy suffered an injury during the match.

David Seaman Criticises Donnarumma Celebrations, Praises Raya’s Consistency

Gianluigi Donnarumma
February 2026

Seaman said some modern keepers over-celebrate routine saves, naming Donnarumma as an example. He also said Raya has become calm and consistent at Arsenal after initial pressure replacing Ramsdale. Seaman argued celebrations should match the moment, then highlighted Raya’s big saves and improved settling-in after Ramsdale’s exit. He pointed to Raya’s path through English football as building resilience and maturity.

Manchester United Shock Manchester City 2-0 in Carrick Home Return

Michael Carrick
January 2026

United beat City 2-0, with Mbeumo and Dorgu scoring after two first-half goals were disallowed for offside and a third was later ruled out by VAR. It was United’s first home win over City since January 2023. United pressed aggressively and controlled midfield through Casemiro, disrupting City’s build-up and limiting their rhythm. Fernandes carried transitions, setting up Mbeumo for the opener, then Cunha’s cross was turned in by Dorgu after weak defending, with United staying compact to close it out.


Guardiola Defends Donnarumma’s Passing, Admits Long-Range Not Like Ederson

Gianluigi Donnarumma
January 2026

Guardiola said Donnarumma’s short passing and composure are better than his reputation, while conceding he cannot match Ederson’s long passing. Guardiola highlighted first touch, decision-making, and tempo in short build-up as key strengths, framing Ederson’s range as an outlier few keepers can replicate.

Guardiola unmoved as Donnarumma racks up bookings amid law-change debate

Gianluigi Donnarumma
December 2025

City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma already has four yellow cards in ten league matches, mostly for dissent and time wasting, placing him on the brink of a suspension and intensifying criticism over perceived tactical “injury” stoppages used to create unofficial timeouts. Guardiola says the 26 year old is “adult enough” to manage his behaviour, while Daniel Farke’s complaints about a stoppage in City’s win over Leeds have fed into IFAB talks on goalkeeper treatment, including proposals to remove an outfield player or block touchline instructions during such breaks.

Premier League set for clampdown on ‘timeout’ keeper injuries

IFAB lawmakers
December 2025

Lawmakers are exploring changes to stop goalkeepers going down for treatment to create de-facto timeouts and tactical huddles, closing a loophole that has grown since outfield players were forced to leave the pitch briefly after physio interventions. Proposals include forcing a nominated outfield player to leave the field for 30 seconds whenever a goalkeeper receives treatment, or banning players from approaching the touchline during such stoppages, with the “outfield player off” option gathering support after Farke’s criticism of Manchester City’s use of the tactic.

Guardiola fumes after controversial defeat to Newcastle dents City’s title push

Pep Guardiola
November 2025

City lost 2-1 at Newcastle, with Harvey Barnes scoring twice and Ruben Dias replying, in a result that could leave Guardiola’s side seven points behind leaders Arsenal and raise new doubts over their title defence after a poor night in both boxes. City felt aggrieved that a tackle on Phil Foden did not bring a first-half penalty and that Barnes’ second goal stood despite Donnarumma’s foul claims and a tight offside call on Bruno, with Guardiola seen arguing with Bruno and a cameraman before refusing to elaborate in post-match interviews.

Donnarumma says Haaland helped convince him to join Man City

Gianluigi Donnarumma
November 2025

Donnarumma revealed that his close relationship with Haaland played a key role in his decision to leave PSG for Manchester City, explaining that the pair quickly bonded and often joke about facing each other with their national teams. In an interview, the Italy goalkeeper praised Haaland’s ferocious left-footed strikes, even rating him tougher to face than Kylian Mbappe, and admitted he would rather have the Norwegian on his side as City chase more trophies following his switch from Paris.

Gattuso apologises after Italy collapse against Haaland-inspired Norway

Gennaro Gattuso (Italy)
November 2025

Italy’s World Cup hopes took another hit as they collapsed to a 4-1 defeat at San Siro after leading at half-time. Pio Esposito’s opener briefly raised belief they could chase an unlikely automatic spot, but Norway’s response killed any remaining optimism. Norway hit back through Antonio Nusa before Erling Haaland struck twice and Jorgen Strand Larsen added a ruthless fourth, exposing Italian fragility. Gennaro Gattuso admitted fear gripped his players after the break, while Gianluigi Donnarumma lamented Italy stopped playing with the intensity shown before half-time.

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