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It’s not the World Cup failure… Donnarumma in tears: ‘This is what hurts me the most’

Italian goalkeeper breaks his silence in an emotional interview

Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has addressed the controversy surrounding Italy’s World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia, praising the three officials who have since resigned over the bonus scandal.

Donnarumma, who captained Italy during the World Cup qualifying campaign, told Sky Italia in an emotional interview that the personal pain of a third consecutive World Cup absence was compounded by damaging reports of bonus disputes within the squad.

Italy missed out on a third consecutive World Cup after losing 3–1 on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final.

Read also: A disgrace to football... Donnarumma faces criticism following Italy’s failure

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A painful moment
Donnarumma opened his interview by stating, “What hurt me most was what was published. As captain, I never asked the Italian national team for a single euro.”
He added, as reported by Football Italia: “In the national team, as everywhere, the idea was simply to give the players a bonus for reaching a specific target. That’s all there is to it; no one asked the federation for anything.”
“Our reward was to qualify for the World Cup. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
He concluded, “What hurt me most were the comments and words that were spoken.”

AFP
The trio has submitted their resignations.
The departures of Gabriele Gravina (President of the Italian Football Federation), Gennaro Gattuso (head coach) and Gianluigi Buffon (team manager) added another emotional layer to an already difficult period. Donnarumma spoke graciously about all three, visibly moved by the fallout from the Bosnia defeat.
The Manchester City goalkeeper said: “I had a great relationship with Gigi, Gattuso and Gravina. We feel very sorry for them, and it’s natural to feel a sense of responsibility for what’s happening now, and that’s painful. But I’d like to thank the coach, the president and Gigi, because they made a valuable contribution.”
According to French website Foot Mercato, the Italian shot-stopper even choked back tears while discussing the departures.
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A Message for the Future
Italy’s record-breaking winning run and their 2021 European Championship triumph are genuine achievements, and Donnarumma insisted that the nation’s footballing identity can be rebuilt.
“In recent years, despite setbacks, we have reached important milestones,” he said. “We must not discard that progress.”
His message for the future was straightforward yet heartfelt: “It’s tough, but we must push on with determination, knowing Italy will return stronger and greater.”
With the Nations League and the European Championship still to come before the next World Cup cycle, he argued that the rebuilding process must start sooner rather than later.
He concluded, “The first two days were very difficult and exhausting. It’s painful, really painful. At first, I found it hard to process. But you have to start afresh, move forward and get on with it.”