I hope to be better welcomed next time, says Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma was given a jarring reception upon his return to San Siro, but the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper has reiterated his love for AC Milan and hopes to be welcomed on better terms next time. Donnarumma moved to PSG from AC Milan on a free transfer over the summer.
Gianluigi Donnarumma made his breakthrough into the AC Milan senior team in the 2015/16 campaign after coming through the ranks of the youth academy. The Italian international was the second youngest goalkeeper to start a match in the history of Italian football at the age of 16 years and 242 days. He quickly established himself as the Rossoneri's No 1 as he made 251 appearances for the Italian giants while keeping 88 clean sheets across all competitions.
In the summer of 2017, it was initially announced by the club that Donnarumma would renew his contract but after much speculation, he signed an extension which kept him at Milan until 2021. In recent times speculation revolved around the Milan goalkeeper on a consistent basis as he stalled on extending his contract with the Italian giants. Donnarumma ultimately opted against signing a contract extension and joined PSG on a free transfer over the summer.
The 22-year-old returned to familiar surroundings as he started for Italy against Spain at the San Siro for a Nations League semi-final match. Supporters in the stadium didn't take kindly to their former player as his every touch was loudly jeered as they expressed their discontent at him. Donnarumma harbors no ill will and hopes to come back in the future to better reception.
“I will always love them. I will always have a Rossonero heart. There is a bit of disappointment with the whistles. I spent eight years at Milan and it’s always an emotion to come back to San Siro. I grew up here and I remain a supporter of the club. You don’t forget eight years like that… I hope to be better welcomed next time,” Donnarumma told Le lene TV show in an interview.