ISERLOHN: Gianluigi Donnarumma (pic) has reprised his role as European Championship hero for Italy as he leads the uncertain holders into their Euro 2024 last-16 clash with Switzerland.
Named player of the tournament at the last Euros, Donnarumma has a decent claim to have been the best player of this year’s group stage in Germany, pulling off save after save as the Italians stumbled towards qualification from Group B.
The Azzurri skipper’s last-gasp save stopped Rey Manaj snatching an undeserved draw for Albania in Italy’s opening match, a 2-1 win which was crucial to the champions getting out of the group.
Donnarumma then made sure that Spain didn’t beat Italy by a cricket score in a humbling 1-0 defeat and starred again in the dramatic 1-1 draw with Croatia which his team were losing until the final few seconds of stoppage time.
The 25-year-old pulled off a couple of miracle stops before Luka Modric finally forced Croatia into the lead, just moments after the Real Madrid midfielder watched Donnarumma save his penalty.
And the giant keeper’s ability at stopping spot-kicks will be a huge plus in the knockouts, especially for a team which has trouble creating chances, much less putting them away.
Donnarumma’s top-drawer performances in Germany comes after criticism over the past season with Paris St Germain, but he is revelling in leading Italy at a major tournament after coach Luciano Spalletti resisted calls to replace him with Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario.
“It’s difficult to explain what it means to wear this shirt, come here and know that 60 million Italians are watching at home,” said Donnarumma before the Croatia match.
“It means even more when you’re wearing the captain’s armband.”
Donnarumma will be of even more importance on Saturday due to the absence of centre-back Riccardo Calafiori, whose ability to bring the ball out of defence was key to Mattia Zaccagni’s crucial equaliser against Croatia. — AFP
