Italy no.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma has admitted that ‘it wasn’t easy’ returning to San Siro when his Paris Saint-Germain side faced his former club Milan at San Siro in the Champions League last week.
Donnarumma had left the Rossoneri on a free transfer to join PSG in the summer of 2021, much to the anger of Milan and their supporters, who had shown a lot of faith in him since making his debut as a 16-year-old.
Since moving to Paris, Donnarumma has returned to San Siro once previously, with the Italy national team for the Nations League semi-final against Spain in October 2021.
However, last Tuesday’s encounter with PSG was the first time Donnarumma returned to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in front of a full Milan crowd.
He was greeted by a hostile reception, with constant whistles and chants throughout the game. He was also showered with fake cash before kick-off, having been dubbed ‘Dollarumma’ since his PSG move.
Speaking at a Hall of Fame ceremony at Coverciano on Monday, Donnarumma said: “It wasn’t easy in October 2021 and it wasn’t easy now either.
“You try not to get distracted on the pitch and give everything to help your team. After the game you tend to feel it more and let your emotions go, but on the pitch you try not to let it affect you. I’ve grown a lot in that respect.”