Gianluigi Donnarumma does not know what awaits him when he returns from vacation after Euro 2024, for which he has just qualified for the round of 16 with Italy. The PSG goalkeeper sees a determined competitor arrive at his side in the person of Matvey Safonov, freshly arrived from Krasnodar, where he made a small name for himself by disgusting more than one team in the European Cup.
“Luis Campos?” He never told me that I was No. 2,” the Russian told journalist Nobel Arustamyan, who followed him to Paris. A first punchline that sets the tone. The rest is even spicier, like we’re in the Russian version of Hot Ones. “I don’t see myself as a No. 2 insists Safonov. I don’t want to be a replacement player. If they make me a No. 2, things aren’t going to be easy for No. 1. I will measure myself against him constantly. I have never lost a competition. I’ve always been a No. 1 goalie. […] They may not intend to make me a No. 1 goalkeeper right away, but I believe in it. »
The return of competition to the cages
We’re already looking forward to the close-ups on his face at the first Donnarumma dumpling next season. On the other hand, we will have to assume behind, Matvey, whose arrival nevertheless has the merit of confirming one thing: the competition desired by Luis Enrique in each position no longer spares the goals.
