Gianluigi Donnarumma missed the opportunity to shine for PSG when Keylor Navas was sent off, while Mauricio Pochettino hit back at Mino Raiola. ‘All agents think their players are the best.’
The Italy international goalkeeper has found life difficult in Paris after leaving Milan as a free agent, condemned to second-choice status behind Navas.
He would’ve had the chance to show what he can do when Navas was sent off against FC Nantes last night in Ligue 1, but with rather unfortunate timing, Donnarumma was not on the bench after coming down with a bout of gastroenteritis.
Sergio Rico therefore had to take the gloves for the rest of the match, which PSG went on to win 3-1, but Navas will be suspended for the next Ligue 1 fixture against Saint-Etienne on November 28.
It remains to be seen if Donnarumma or Navas will be picked for the huge Champions League showdown with Manchester City on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Pochettino was asked about the comments from agent Raiola, who was angered that Donnarumma had to take understudy duties to Navas just months after winning Player of the Tournament in Italy’s UEFA EURO 2020 triumph.
“All agents think their players are the best and ought to be playing,” replied the coach.
“My wife thinks I am the best coach and I always tell her that’s not the case. There is love, we try to protect those dear to us, that is only human. I try to protect my son, I consider him the most handsome, the most intelligent.
“Affection and heart are important in life, but a coach cannot think like that.”
Another example of feeble uefa and PSG’s distortion of European football.
Why buy (sorry sign) a player your manager does not want?
EU needs to get involved. Football has an importance in society and communities that is getting ruined by the likes of PSG.
Solution seems incredibly simple to me. Limit the number of professional players AND the number of players a team is allowed to loan.
Stricter rules around youth players and the number that can be signed and then loaned out.
PSG have 5 Gk’s, 12 Defenders, 14 Midfielders and only 4 fwds. With another 8 players on loan.
Quite simply for every player over a squad of 25 there should be a 1 pt deduction including those on loan unless they are youth players. A 9pt penalty reduction for PSG might make it difficult for them to win Lihue 1 it’s not like with such a big squad they should have difficulty winning their league….
I don’t understand why Pochettino didn’t realise this would happen. Why buy another No 1 if you don’t intend to replace your current No 1?
It’s Donnarumma’s fault. He should’ve stayed at Milan or moved to Juve!
Can’t believe he went to a lesser league just for a fistful of dollars!
You make a great point gman. As a Milan fan it pains me to see Donnaruma situation at PSG where is just signed for the sake of signing, whereas at Milan he played and more importantly was loved. I’ve been saying for a long time clubs like PSG and Man City and soon add Newcastle to that mix are ruining football and blatantly breaking ffp rules. In the mid 80’s through the 90’s we were an expensively assembled team of superstars but there was no ffp then and it was backed by Berlusconi lira.
Unfortunately Donnarumma is paying the price of his choice, why will you leave Italian league to to play with a team that all what it has is the oil money to buy everyone. The best solution now is to find a sporting way to leave this stupid team and go play again in Italy. and for pochettino, why did you not tell your management that you don’t need another number 1 goal keeper since you love Navas this much? Donnarumma you agree or not is the best goal keeper in the world right now!!! Who are you?
I strongly believe he and his agent are trying to engineer a move to Rubentus on loan, the whole thing stinks but this is football now
Donnarumma went there to compete to be number one, he isn’t in favour! That’s football! Unless he was promised the spot by the president which I highly doubt! He went with confidence he’d be better than Navas, but Navas is no mug to be fair! I still think a two year loan away from PSG would be the ideal solution for both parties! Like Courtois did when he left Chelsea to Atletico! He returned after a few years to become number one there.
Add to that he has that big mouth agent fella which doesn’t help, all he does is go where the money is for him first then the player, mans a criminal
@gman. I think you have an interesting concept, but a points deduction is way too harsh. There is no rule against having x amount of players or paying them y dollars. The club is not cheating, not being violent, etc., so I don’t think a points deduction will fly.
However, a financial penalty might be warranted. In the U.S., in baseball for example, clubs pay a “luxury tax” (really more like a fine) when the total wage bill rises above the max set by the collective bargaining agreement for that season. The Dodgers and the Yankees are regularly in violation of this, but apparently their owners can pay. They should do the same thing in football, with the proceeds being divided equally amongst all clubs below the cap. The fine can be applied to both a wage cap and a cap on the number of players.
I just wondering if PSG not have these free transferees, would their position be better or worse. I couldn’t see any of those have great impact to the team other than creating awkward situation for everyone including themselves.
ROBERT JIRIKDJIAN The best no1 in the game!? Hardly, kids got no distribution. Milan are better of with Maignan, hes good with his feet. Dollarumma not so much, that’s why Keylor Navas plays. Dollarumma choose Raiola and money instead of his career. Now hes not playing regularly, could’ve been the best. But not if you don’t play. Hope he doesn’t catch a cold on the psg bench. LOL
Raiola needs to earn his money and send him on loan.
He’s cup-tied so I’m not sure how many suitors he will attract. I think at this point even going to Newcastle is ideal.
If he can get 12 Weeks of playing time between January and the Playoffs, it will help Italy.