The entrance into the main hall in Coverciano was accompanied by spontaneous and heartfelt applause, an ovation of hands that recognized in Gianluigi Donnarumma not only the new European champion with PSG, but also the face and voice of the Italian national team that looks to the future with determination.
A captain with a confident look and the words of someone who has already experienced a lot, Donnarumma is today the fulcrum of an Azzurri defense marked by absences, the latest in chronological order being that of Matteo Gabbia, who returned due to unavailability and was replaced by Daniele Rugani, called up seven years after his last appearance on the pitch with Italy.
But Gigio doesn't get upset. "Worry? No. Just positive tension, the kind needed to face a match that is worth qualifying for the World Cup", he says lucidly. The match with Norway is upon us and the goal is clear: to return to experience the emotion of the World Cup, an event that Italy has been missing for a decade. "We have to go there all together, players and fans. We know that in Norway we will not be alone, we will feel the affection of the Italians even from far away."
Donnarumma: “Let's bring Italy back to the World Cup”
Fresh from a European triumph that defines the best moment of his career, Donnarumma also talks about the difficulty of enjoying it to the fullest, "because I have brothers who lost that final. And hugging them after the game meant a lot." And then there is the return home, sometimes more difficult than expected: "It wasn't easy not to be welcomed as I had hoped, but today I feel I have regained everyone's trust."
A trust that he wants to repay on the field, bringing serenity and compactness to a young but ambitious group, led by Luciano Spalletti. Finally, a thought for the youngest: those who like him once trod the fields of the Youth Sector finals. "It was a unique experience. I tell the kids: have fun and enjoy it to the fullest." Words of a leader, words of a captain.
