Pep Guardiola has BRAINWASHED people into hating Donnarumma

There has been a bizarre obsession in recent years, especially in England, to mock Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The way the PSG and Italy star is spoken about by some fans and so-called experts, you would be made to believe he is a Sunday League pub player.

It is true that Donnarumma is poor with his feet and in the build-up. He also should be far more commanding on corners and set-pieces given his massive frame.

But name a goalkeeper in world football who doesn’t possess some weaknesses and doesn’t make mistakes?

Champions League top scorers 2024/25

Donnarumma the Champions League MVP

What Donnarumma does have is the ability to make saves that no one on the planet is capable of.

When it comes to shot-stopping, for miracle-making saves, for game and tournament-winning performances, Donnarumma is simply in a league of his own.

This is primarily what a goalkeeper should be judged on.

Fans have become brainwashed over the past decade by the Pep Guardiola cult into actually believing that it is more important for a goalkeeper to be able to pass the ball than to make saves.

The Guardiola cult believe it is imperative to have an Andre Onana who can ping 60 yard passes on a sixpence like Michel Platini, despite the fact he makes blunder after blunder when it comes to stopping the ball going into the net.

‘This is modern football, a goalkeeper must be good with his feet’ is a common complaint you hear from Twitter keyboard warriors.

Funny, Donnarumma’s poor use of his feet hasn’t stopped PSG playing the best football in the Champions League and on the brink of reaching the final.

Of course, there is also a degree of jealousy when it comes to Donnarumma, especially in England.

Donnarumma was the reason at Euro 2020 why England didn’t win their first major trophy since 1966. Even unconsciously, it is natural that there will be some bias against him.

But there is bias and then there is this.

This season, Donnarumma has been the Champions League MVP. If PSG go on to win the Champions League, the Italian should be in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or.

The only reason PSG defeated Liverpool in the last-16 and Aston Villa in the quarter final was because of the 26-year-old.

Against Liverpool, Donnarumma made two big saves in the shootout from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones.

Against Villa, he performed a series of impossible saves to prevent a stirring second leg comeback in Birmingham.

And then on Tuesday, Donnarumma was again the reason why PSG came away from the Emirates with a 1-0 win in their semi final first leg.

Donnarumma made two incredible saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard to deny what seemed like certain equalisers. The save from Trossard will go down as one of the saves of the season.

In the process, Donnarumma continued his unbelievable record on English soil.

That is three matches in a row in 2025 where Donnarumma has produced world class performances in massive games in England.

Then, of course, back at Euro 2020 he won Italy their penalty shootouts at Wembley against Spain in the semis and England in the final.

Not since William the Conqueror (also known as William the Bastard!) has someone wreaked so much havoc on England! Gigi the Bastard, anyone?

And then there is Donnarumma’s penalty record.

Donnarumma has won six of the seven penalty shootouts he has featured in during his career.

His only defeat was for PSG against Nice in the Coupe de France last 16 in January 2022.

Donnarumma’s record in penalty shootouts on English soil is the most remarkable of all.

He has played in three penalty shootouts in England; two at Euro 2020 and the aforementioned Liverpool match.

He has faced 12 penalties in those three shootouts and SEVEN of the spot-kicks have either been saved or missed.

There is an argument to say, already at the age of 26, he is the best goalkeeper in history when it comes to saving penalties.

Standing at 6ft 5in with a huge wing span, there is certainly not a more daunting prospect than facing the Italian from the spot.

When you are playing tournament football, for club or country, this is a massive weapon to have given how many matches end in shootouts.

When it comes to shootouts, Donnarumma is a cheat code.

Like all great players, when it really matters Donnarumma performs. For the Italy national team, he was his country’s best player at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.

He was Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament as Italy lifted the title, winning the Yashin Trophy that year as the best goalkeeper in the world. He was also arguably the best goalkeeper at Euro 2024 for a dreadful Italy team up until their last-16 exit to Switzerland.

Donnarumma is still only 26, yet already has over 400 club appearances, 72 caps for Italy and is in double figures for team trophies won.

He has not even reached his peak as a goalkeeper yet.

It’s time for the haters to leave the Cult of Guardiola, put aside their envy and accept that Donnarumma is a generational goalkeeper.