Gianluigi Donnaruma: Goalkeeping as Controversy—Great Saves, Loud Narratives

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been attracting attention since he first walked onto a Serie A pitch as a 16-year-old for AC Milan. It was 25 October 2015, in a match against Sassuolo, and the teenager became the youngest goalkeeper ever in modern era to start a Serie A game.

From that point, everyone knew he was not going to be a conventional keeper.

Donnarumma joined Milan’s youth team in 2013 from ASD Club Napoli, and in two years he was wearing the first-team gloves in front of tens of thousands of fans.

He spent six seasons at Milan, making 251 appearances and keeping 88 clean sheets. He was a key player in Milan’s push to return to the top, helping them win the Supercoppa Italiana in 2016.

Milan returned to the Champions League in 2020–21, with Donnarumma guarding the net for most of the campaign. He was again in the Serie A Team of the Year twice, in 2019–20 and 2020–21.

He parted ways with Milan in June 2021, after achieving success there, and moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer.

Fans had a lot to say at the time, with some questioning whether the exit would help his career. 

A New Chapter

At PSG, Donnarumma was part of a squad that dominated. Between 2021 and 2025, he won 4 Ligue 1 titles, 2 Coupe de France trophies, and three Trophée des Champions.

Perhaps the headline achievement is the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League where he kept a clean sheet in the final, as the Parisiens demolished his boyhood arch-rivals Inter Milan 5-0.

Across all competitions in France, he made over 160 appearances, keeping around 56 clean sheets.

For Luis Enrique, though, all that did not matter. In a rather shocking turn of events, the Spaniard decided  Donnarumma was no longer needed in the squad. It was a move that raises eyebrows till today.

The Italian owes Pep Guardiola every kind of gratitude. The manager soon came to Donnarumma's rescue in a deadline-day move, saving the goalkeeper from what could have become a disaster for a person who had just starred in the previous season.

Before that, the Parisiens had made their intentions clear by leaving him out of the UEFA Super Cup squad. Despite what reporters revealed as his “disappointment,” he did not need anyone to tell him his time in France was up. He signed a five-year deal with Manchester City on 2 September 2025.

He soon impressed the Spanish manager, who decided to bench English shot-stopper James Trafford in his favour.

At the time of writing, official records has it that Donnarumma has made 20 Premier League appearances, kept 9 clean sheets, conceded 17 goals, and recorded 44 saves, helping City recover from a brief dip in form.

In Europe, he has played in seven Champions League matches, kept three clean sheets so far.

His international career has just been as good. At just 17, Donnarumma made his Italy Under-21 debut, and less than a year later, his senior debut followed.

He became Italy's youngest goalkeeper at that level when he debuted on 1 September 2016.

Donnarumma stole the show at Euro 2020 (held in 2021), as he saved penalties against Spain in the semis and England in the final. He picked up the Player of the Tournament award as a result, again becoming the first goalkeeper to do so.

He has racked up around 79 caps for Italy and won the Yashin Trophy (2021, 2025), The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award (2025), and made the FIFA FIFPro World11 (2021, 2025).

Life in the Spotlight

Off the pitch, the narratives often hide his achievements. At Milan, people wondered if a 16-year-old could handle Serie A pressure. At PSG, loyalty and squad hierarchy were the hot topics. He was 17 when he played as Italy’s goalkeeper, and not everyone liked that.

And in England (typical England!) social media did not give him a break. People criticise how he plays out from the back, and talks of what is expected from a modern goalkeeper has continued. 

Saving two Spain penalties in the Euro shootout on 6 July 2021 was a moment Donnarumma will never forget. He did the same against England on 11 July 2021, securing his place in Italian football history.

In the Premier League, a save against Manchester United in September 2025 earned him Save of the Month.

Great saves and big mistakes define Donnarumma's career. At 26, he has achieved more than many goalkeepers do in a lifetime, but he still gets criticised. Every save, every contract, every match; brilliance and debate define his career