The Italians no longer understand the football world. The current European champion goes down in the Nations League with 2: 5 in Germany. Gianluigi Donnarumma also fails. The star goalkeeper’s nerves are on edge. He takes on a TV reporter.
The 2: 5 embarrassment in the Nations League against Germany spoiled the mood of Italy’s footballers. “We’re angry,” said goalkeeper and European champions captain Gianluigi Donnarumma after Tuesday’s historic defeat on TV station Rai.
“There is no excuse for something like this. Nothing went right for us today.” For the first time in 65 years and a 6-1 draw against Yugoslavia in May 1957, Italy conceded five goals again.
Donnarumma reminded that the Squadra Azzurra was visibly tired in the fifth game within two weeks. “But let’s not make excuses. We’re sorry for the fans that they had to see this. It doesn’t work that way,” he said.
Then the 23-year-old verbally attacked the TV reporter. She asked him about his mistake before the 0: 5 and noticed that Donnarumma had often shown weaknesses recently. “Anyone who wants to be polemical should be polemical,” snapped the goalkeeper. “There is no one to blame, only the team. If you want to blame me for the mistake then do it, no problem.”
Coach Roberto Mancini was a little more forgiving and, after missing out on qualifying for the World Cup, recalled the rebuilding of the team, which included defeats: “It’s a shame that things turned out like they did today.”
One of the few bright spots for Mancini are the appearances of some debutants in recent games. Striker Wilfried Gnonto, for example, scored the 1:5 in the meantime and is now the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Italian A team at the age of 18 years and a good seven months. “We saw that we still have a lot of work to do,” said the teenager from FC Zurich in a ZDF interview. “We don’t have that much time. We have to get to that level. We have a lot of good players, but we still have work to do.”
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