“I never say he will be number 1, 2 or 3. I want to see them in training and for them to be ready when I call on them”had then alerted Luis Enrique in September about his goalkeeping hierarchy. If Gianluigi Donnarumma is still an executive in the Parisian locker room and an experienced player as captain of the Italian selection, best player of Euro 2020 and former boss of AC Milan, his Parisian adventure seems to have as many ups as downs. . His qualities are widely known and recognized in France, Italy and elsewhere, but his lack of consistency and real progression since his big professional debut at San Siro at the age of 16 calls everything into question. His performances in Ligue 1, far from the big luxurious spotlights of the Champions League, are as flamboyant as ever, but when it comes to saving his team from European disillusionment, the Squadra Azzurra goalkeeper seems to lose his footing. Parisian supporters probably remember the swings in concentration – not to say balls or errors – against Real Madrid two years ago, Newcastle and FC Barcelona last season and more recently Arsenal and Atlético de Madrid this year.
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This new error from Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Champions League comes at a very bad time since a few days ago, last weekend to be precise, the Russian goalkeeper, Matvey Safonov, attracted the spotlight against RC Lens in Ligue 1 for a very interesting performance, perfect in Luis Enrique's system at PSG: “why Safonov? I put Safonov on to counter the Lensois pressing. I knew that we would have a lot of difficulty due to Lens' pressure, very high pressure, very strong duels where the only free player is the goalkeeper. I have a total obsession with having all players ready to play at all times. Safonov, Tenas, Donnarumma must be ready at all times. If I want this to be the case for the goalkeepers, I also want it to be the case for all the other players. Today, Safonov has generated a certain superiority for us. He was very good and it wasn't easy for him. I am very happy with his performance», Explained the Spanish coach. The sequence of these events could well put the 25-year-old Italian under pressure.
The name of Matvey Safonov!
A career is sometimes a story of luck, chance or the alignment of the planets. What if Matvey Safonov was experiencing a fateful week in his career as a professional footballer. Recruited for 20 million euros, Safonov set down his bags in the French capital with the label of great unknown in the battalion, the native of Stavropol has never hidden his big objectives by arriving at Paris Saint-Germain. Despite the presence of Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Russian international wants to start in Paris: “No one ever told me I was number two. I come to Paris to fight. I want to play football. If they had told me I was number two, I wouldn't have listened to them. It's up to me to give the best of myself. I don't see myself as a number two. I don't want to be a replacement. If they put me as number two, it won't be easy for number one… I'm going to fight with him constantly. I have never lost a competition. I have always been the number one goalkeeper.promised the 25-year-old Russian in an interview given last June to the Russian YouTube channel Nobel. His very good performance by the Russian against Lens followed by a poor performance by the Italian against Atlético de Madrid, all in a period of collective questioning and European crisis in the capital club, pawns could well move since against the Colchoneros, the native of Castellammare di Stabia failed to send a message.
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At the same time, all this would not be so surprising. Luis Enrique accustomed us to making drastic decisions that could seem unimaginable at the time, such as doing without a real scorer despite the presence of Randal Kolo Muani, putting Kylian Mbappé on the bench, aligning Warren Zaire-Emery on the side… So many things surprising people who had in common the desire to want to experiment with a new idea in order to bring new blood into the Parisian group. This week, the daily The Teamwho announced the possibility of seeing the Russian start against Atlético, affirmed that the PSG coach had “a form of irritation at Donnarumma’s inability to respond to his instructions on this aspect”. There are things to be criticized for Donnarumma, particularly in relation to his kicking and the verticality of his game. Points which have been discussed internally and where the Russian gives better guarantees than the former AC Milan player. His difficulties in aerial play are also pointed out. Sometimes a hierarchy can be shaken up in the space of a few days. A sort of timing story and this is exactly what Gianluigi Donnarumma and Matvey Safonov could experience differently in the coming days.
Pub. the 07/11/2024 08:15
– UPDATE 07/11/2024 18:00
