Gianluigi Donnarumma

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Donnarumma with Milan before the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana
Personal information
Full name Gianluigi Donnarumma
Date of birth (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999
Place of birth Castellammare di Stabia, Italy
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Milan
Number 99
Youth career
2003–2013 Club Napoli
2013–2015 Milan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015– Milan 68 (0)
National team‡
2014 Italy U15 4 (0)
2014–2015 Italy U17 10 (0)
2016– Italy U21 7 (0)
2016– Italy 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 May 2017.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 June 2017

Gianluigi "Gigio" Donnarumma[2] (born 25 February 1999) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Milan and the Italy national team.

He began his career with Milan in 2015, becoming the second youngest goalkeeper ever to debut in Serie A, aged 16 years and 242 days; he immediately broke into the starting line-up, earning a reputation as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the world. He also broke the record as the youngest Italy under-21 player ever to play, aged 17 years and 28 days in March 2016. Six months later, he made his senior international debut, becoming the youngest goalkeeper ever to appear for Italy, aged 17 years and 189 days.

Club career

Milan

Youth career

Donnarumma grew up in the football academy of Club Napoli in his native Castellammare di Stabia. At age 14, he was signed for €250,000 by Milan, the team for which his elder brother, Antonio, had already played.[3] Between 2013 and 2015, he was part of the Rossoneri youth academy, where he always played in the age group above him, beginning with the Giovanissimi, then the Allievi, and finally the Primavera.[4] Three days before his 16th birthday, in February 2015, he received his first call-up to the senior team from manager Filippo Inzaghi; though he did not feature in the league match against Cesena, his presence on the substitutes' bench had required a special dispensation due to his age.[5][6]

2015–16 season: First team breakthrough

At the beginning of the 2015–16 season, Donnarumma was promoted to the senior team by manager Siniša Mihajlović, initially as the third-choice goalkeeper behind Diego López and Christian Abbiati.[7] During Milan's pre-season tour of China, he made his debut in an International Champions Cup match against Real Madrid on 30 July. Replacing López in the 72nd minute, he kept a clean sheet for the remainder of the match, but was one of two Milan players to miss his penalty shootout attempt in an eventual 10–9 loss.[8] His subsequent starting appearance against Sassuolo in the final of the TIM Trophy saw him save two penalties in the shootout to secure Milan's victory.[9]

Donnarumma made his competitive debut in Serie A on 25 October against Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium; chosen to start ahead of López, he helped the team achieve a 2–1 victory after three matches without a win.[10] At the age of 16 years and 242 days,[11] he was the second youngest goalkeeper to start a match in the history of Italian football; 13 days older than Giuseppe Sacchi, who coincidentally made his Serie A debut with Milan on the very same date, 73 years earlier.[12][13] López subsequently hailed him as "the future of Milan and of Italian football".[14] Donnarumma kept his first clean sheet three days later in a 1–0 win against Chievo.[15] After three successive victories featuring Donnarumma in the starting line-up, Milan avoided a defeat against Atalanta as a result of an impressive display from their goalkeeper; "Donnarumma worked miracles," commented the Gazzetta dello Sport.[16] His performances that year earned him a place among the top 25 of Don Balón's ranking of the world's best footballers under age 21.[17]

By the start of 2016, Donnarumma had firmly supplanted López as the first-choice goalkeeper for Milan,[18] who subsequently offered him a revised, three-year contract.[19] His first appearance in the Derby della Madonnina, Milan's crosstown rivalry with Internazionale, came on 31 January; the clash ended in a 3–0 victory after he stopped Éder from scoring.[20] In March, he was briefly hospitalised after suffering a head injury in an on-pitch collision with Chievo's Fabrizio Cacciatore.[21] Donnarumma featured ahead of Abbiati in Milan's 1–0 defeat to Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final, as the club failed to qualify for European competition at the end of the season.[22]

2016–17 season

Donnarumma playing for Milan during the 2016–17 pre-season

In the club's opening league match of the 2016–17 season against Torino, on 21 August, Donnarumma saved the first penalty of his professional career; he stopped Andrea Belotti's shot in injury time, which enabled Milan to seal a 3–2 victory at home.[23][24] On 23 December, Donnarumma helped lead Milan to victory in the Supercoppa Italiana, saving Paulo Dybala's penalty in a 4–3 shoot-out win following a 1–1 draw after extra time.[25]

On 15 June 2017 it was initially announced that Donnarumma would not be renewing his contract with Milan,[26] however on 11 July, after much speculation, he renewed with Milan until 2021.[27]

International career

Donnarumma was the starting goalkeeper for Italy's under-17 team at the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[28] The following year on 24 March, he made his debut for the under-21 side in a 4–1 win over the Republic of Ireland, becoming the youngest player ever to play for the team aged 17 years and 28 days, breaking the record previously held by Federico Bonazzoli.[29][30]

Though predicted to attend the 2016 UEFA European Championship, Donnarumma did not make Antonio Conte's final squad for the tournament.[22] On 27 August, he was called up to the senior squad by Gian Piero Ventura for a friendly against France on 1 September and a 2018 World Cup qualification match on 5 September against Israel, making him the youngest player, aged 17 years and six months, to be called up to the senior squad since 1911.[31] On 1 September, in the match against France, Donnarumma made his senior debut, subbing out Buffon at the half-time mark of an eventual 3–1 home loss; the youngest goalkeeper to ever play for Italy aged 17 years and 189 days.[32][33] On 28 March 2017, he made his first starting appearance in a 2–1 away win over the Netherlands; the youngest goalkeeper for Italy to do so aged 18 years and 31 days.[34]

In June 2017, he was included in the Italy under-21 squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship by manager Luigi Di Biagio.[35]

Style of play

"He has great talent and I think he can do more than I did with Milan's colours, because he is very young ... Gigio has already demonstrated his value, and I think he's going to develop even more."

—Former Milan keeper Dida on Donnarumma[36]

Long considered one of Italy's most exciting prospects, and one of the most promising young footballers of his generation, Donnarumma is widely regarded as the successor to Gianluigi Buffon.[16][37][38][39] Buffon has in turn praised the teenager's physical strength and technical abilities, mental composure and decision making.[40] Predicting an "extraordinary career" in his future,[41] he commended Donnarumma's maturity and ability to cope with the pressures of being a goalkeeper at such a young age.[42] Another of Italy's World Cup-winning goalkeepers, Dino Zoff, similarly said Donnarumma seems "predestined to become a great goalkeeper," adding that "it all depends completely on him."[43] Former Milan and Italy goalkeeper Giovanni Galli also described Donnarumma as a potentially world-class goalkeeper, applauding him for his discipline, intelligence, concentration, and professionalism, despite his young age.[44]

A 2015 ESPN profile praised Donnarumma's fundamental goalkeeping skills, identifying his large slender frame and reach, agility, and composed nature as his biggest strengths; writer Nick Dorrington additionally described the teenager as "a natural leader [with] the necessary confidence to organise a defence featuring players twice his age."[6][16] Despite his tall and imposing stature,[6] Donnarumma possesses good reactions,[45] and is effective at stopping penalties.[46] Although he is regarded as being competent with the ball at his feet, several pundits, such as Mina Rzouki and Paolo Menicucci, have cited his ball control and distribution, as well as his positioning, ability to defend crosses, and his overall consistency, as areas in which he needs to improve as he gains more experience.[6][16][47][48]

Personal life

Donnarumma was born in Castellammare di Stabia in the Province of Naples, the son of Alfonso and Marinella. His older brother, Antonio, also came through Milan's youth system as a goalkeeper, and is currently his teammate as well.[49] [50] Since childhood, he has supported Milan,[37] although he grew up idolising Gianluigi Buffon.[51]

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 August 2017.[52]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Milan 2015–16 Serie A 30010——310
2016–17 38020—1[lower-alpha 1]0410
2017–18 000020—20
Career total 680302010740
  1. ↑ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana

International

As of 7 June 2017.[52]
Italy national team
YearAppsGoals
201620
201720
Total40

Honours

Club

Milan

References

  1. ↑ "Gianluigi Donnarumma".
  2. ↑ "'Donnarumma? Raiola is waiting…'". Football Italia. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "ESCLUSIVA MN - Colpo Milan: ha firmato Gianluigi Donnarumma".
  4. ↑ "Donnarumma, storia di un predestinato, da Castellammare al Milan, in A a 16 anni". Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Francesco Oddi (18 February 2015). "Milan, emergenza portiere. Ecco Donnarumma, un 15enne per Inzaghi" (in Italian). gazzetta.it. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Nick Dorrington (17 November 2015). "AC Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and echoes of Buffon". ESPN FC. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Francesco Oddi (30 July 2015). "Milan-Real Madrid, i rigori del 16enne Donnarumma, eroe su Kroos poi sbaglia" (in Italian). gazzetta.it. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "Real Madrid 0-0 AC Milan (pens 10-9): 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma misses decisive spot kick in friendly". Daily Mail. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Milan Defend TIM Trophy". AC Milan. 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Teenage keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma plays in AC Milan win". BBC Sport. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  11. ↑ Daniele Triolo (25 October 2015). "MILAN, oggi esordisce Donnarumma: qualche numero" (in Italian). pianetamilan.it. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "Giuseppe SACCHI" (in Italian). magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Sacchi, Giuseppe" (in Italian). Enciclopedia del Calcio. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  14. ↑ Justin Davis (25 October 2015). "Lopez unruffled despite losing gloves to teenager Donnarumma". Yahoo. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Gianluigi Donnarumma: short on years but standing tall at Milan". theguardian.com. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Paolo Menicucci (14 November 2015). "Weekly wonderkid: Gianluigi Donnarumma". UEFA.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  17. ↑ "La lista dei 101 migliori giovani talenti del calcio mondiale" [The list of the 101 best young talents in world football] (in Italian). Eurosport. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Donnarumma doing all the right things: Buffon". FourFourTwo. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  19. ↑ "Milan tie down Donnarumma". Football Italia. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Cooke, Crippy (31 January 2016). "AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma Puts on Goalkeeping Masterclass in the Derby della Madonnina". 90min. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "European football round-up: What you may have missed". BBC Sport. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  22. 1 2 "Donnarumma: 'I cried after Coppa'". Football Italia. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Milan, che inizio per Donnarumma: para a Belotti il primo rigore in carriera" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  24. ↑ "Miha: 'If I'd known, Donnarumma...'". Football Italia. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  25. 1 2 "Donnarumma: 'Dedicated to Berlusconi'". Football Italia. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  26. ↑ "OFFICIAL: DONNARUMMA WON'T RENEW - Football Italia". www.football-italia.net.
  27. ↑ "Official: Donnarumma signs Milan deal - Football Italia". www.football-italia.net.
  28. ↑ "Inventive Edouard double inspires France". UEFA.com. 16 May 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  29. ↑ Luca Bianchin (24 March 2016). "Under 21, le pagelle di Irlanda-Italia" [Under 21, the report cards of Ireland-Italy] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  30. ↑ "U21: Ireland-Italy line-ups". Football Italia. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  31. ↑ "Italy: Ventura calls new faces". Football Italia. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  32. ↑ "Donnarumma: 'Indescribable!'". Football Italia. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  33. ↑ "Italy: Azzurri flop with France". Football Italia. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  34. ↑ "Donnarumma: 'Buffon great advice'". Football Italia. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  35. ↑ "U21: Italy squad for Euros named". Football Italia. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  36. ↑ "Dida: 'Donnarumma can surpass me'". Football Italia. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  37. 1 2 Simone Gambino (25 October 2015). "The new Buffon? Milan turn to 16-year-old sensation Donnarumma". goal.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  38. ↑ Volcano, Carlos (3 September 2016). "West Ham legend Paolo di Canio: Donnarumma touched by God". Tribal Football. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  39. ↑ "Next Generation 2016: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  40. ↑ Coerts, Stefan (23 January 2016). "Donnarumma doing all the right things - Buffon". Goal.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  41. ↑ "Buffon promuove Donnarumma: "Può fare una carriera straordinaria"". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 19 November 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  42. ↑ "Buffon: 'Donnarumma a top 'keeper'". Football Italia. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  43. ↑ Football Italia staff (5 January 2016). "Zoff: 'Donnarumma will be great'". Football Italia. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  44. ↑ "Galli: 'Donnarumma best for 50 years'". Football Italia. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  45. ↑ Paolo Bandini (29 October 2015). "Gianluigi Donnarumma: short on years but standing tall at Milan". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  46. ↑ "Bacca scores 3, Donnarumma saves penalty in AC Milan win". SportsNet.ca. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  47. ↑ Matt Davis (20 November 2015). "Gianluigi Donnarumma: The 16-year-old hoping to emulate Buffon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  48. ↑ "'Donnarumma can be Milan captain'". Football Italia. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  49. ↑ Francesco Oddi (25 October 2015). "Donnarumma, storia di un predestinato, da Castellammare al Milan, in A a 16 anni" [Donnarumma, the story of a future star, from Castellamare to Milan, in Serie A at 16] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  50. ↑ https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ac-milan-re-sign-antonio-donnarumma-brother-gianluigi
  51. ↑ "Donnarumma: 'Buffon my idol'". Football Italia. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  52. 1 2 Gianluigi Donnarumma at Soccerway
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