Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has spoken out after his team missed out on 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification following the 1-0 loss to North Macedonia in the play-offs. The 23-year-old shot-stopper was heavily criticised by the Azzurri fans after failing to keep out Aleksandar Trakjowski’s 92nd-minute strike from outside the box. It was a brilliant strike from the visiting striker and Donnarumma couldn’t have done much in that situation as the ball went past him into the far bottom corner.
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#WCQ play-offs ?
⏱ FT – All over.#ITAMKD 0⃣-1⃣#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/LdgaBxEpjw
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) March 24, 2022
The result saw the four-time World Champions failing to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Five years ago, the Azzurri had missed out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia after losing to Sweden in the playoffs.
Writing on his Instagram page today, Donnarumma commented on the defeat to North Macedonia and looked ahead to the future.
“We wanted to participate in the World Cup, to experience the extraordinary emotions that these competitions can give, to give smiles to the Italians who accompanied us a few months ago to the conquest of the European Championship.
“Unfortunately it will not be like that, we are very disappointed and we know how much all Italians are, just like us.
“But we also know that in football, as in life, you have to look ahead and get back in the game. Our task is to bring the national team back to where it deserves to be and to build, step by step, a winning future. Forza Azzurri.”
It was unfair to lay a significant amount of blame on the 23-year-old keeper. The defenders could have close down quickly and prevent Trakjowski from taking a shot on goal. It’s also not Donnarumma’s fault that Italy failed to convert 32 chances created.
It wasn’t a great month for Donnarumma as questions were raised about the Italian keeper’s mistake during his club PSG’s Champions League second-leg loss to Real Madrid a few weeks ago.
Real Madrid won the match 3-1 courtesy of Karim Benzema’s hat-trick and went through to the quarter-finals of the competition. Benzema netted the opening goal courtesy of an error by the young keeper.
Meanwhile Donnarumma is a highly talented goalkeeper who has proven himself at the big stage. He will remain Italy’s number one, as he rightly should, and now it seems he’ll have to win back the hearts of Italians again.
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