If there were ever any doubts on Donnarumma, he completely dismantled them in Milan’s win against Juventus. Gigio’s saves played a crucial role in giving Milan the three points. Cristian Abbiati sees a lot of his own self in Donnarumma, as he speaks to La Gazzetta dello Sport on the young Italian keeper:
‘I see myself in Gigio, especially personality wise. He’s introverted and doesn’t succumb to the pressure. He hasn’t surprised me in ages; I already knew his qualities from training with him. The only doubts back then were the way he would handle San Siro’s pressure and a spot in the starting lineup. Another issue was continuity, but he’s shown to have always remained focused. He’s already at a high level, but still has potential. If Milan get to Europe, those competitions will give him a lot of experience. If anything he can improve with his feet. That being said he remains calms and never really loses the ball.’
Donnarumma made plenty of great saves against Juve: ‘Khedira’s shot? I’m telling you, the most crucial save was him anticipating Pjanic. Technically perfect, he remained aware and aggressive’. Is Donnarumma the future captain of Milan? ‘Obviously in the future it’s possible, but right now it’s a useless debate. As someone as cold blooded as me, I can tell you the captain’s arm band puts some serious pressure on you’.
Prodigies stand out from the early days: ‘Even an idiot would have realised he stood out from the crowd. Buffon is in great shape, but when he retires I don’t see anyone but Donnarumma taking his place. There are plenty of good Italian keepers, but none are at their level'.
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