«Fantastic years at Milan, but I made no mistake coming to PSG»- Corriere.it

No, it wouldn’t change anything in his life. He would make every choice again, even from a professional point of view.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
he’s a guy who obviously knows what he wants. “My childhood dreams are coming true. I’ve had a lot of satisfactions, some disappointments, but I wouldn’t change anything», says Gigio confidently, in his second season at Paris Saint-Germain after so many years at Milan.

Donnarumma shows new sides of the character, discovers some details even of the private never told before in the latest episode, at least for now, of Experiment 36, the podcast of

Red Bull

with

Medium Chora
that enters the life of sportsmen. Like the goalkeeper of the national team, who traces his career starting from the beginning, when at the age of 4 “I followed my brother in his training, I went onto the pitch to dive and imitate him, I repeated everything he did”. Shortly after he realized he could become a professional, at 14, «I dreamed of becoming a very important player». He succeeded also thanks to two special people, «my uncle Enrico Alfano and my coach Ernesto Ferrero, they gave me so much and they were the first two to believe in me». And with the move to Milan, a teenager far from home: «I went to a boarding school with the other boys outside the region – he recalls -. I made my debut in the first team at 16 and at 17 on 1 September I made my debut for the national team. With Milan I won an Italian Super Cup. It’s been a fantastic eight years.” But now there’s PSG, «a great team, I’m really happy here. I’ve already won a lot, I hope to do even better,” he explains Gigio who, of the genius of the lamp, would ask just this: «to win and have as many trophies as possible until the end of his career». A bit of an obsession, and also the sweetest memory, or even the most important result obtained so far, «the victory of the European Championship with Italy».

The big face melts when he talks about the family, «the thing I’m most grateful for, them and my fiancée. Mum and dad are always close to me, they gave me a good education giving me the strength to carry on alone when I left home as a boy. They made so many sacrifices for me.” Even Gigio in his climb to success had to give up something, like «going out with friends on Saturday evenings, days at home with the family, carefree summers. Sacrifices I made to pursue my dream». There’s another person you have to thank, one of those who immediately believed in him,

Sinisa Mihajlovic, the coach who made him debut at a very young age with Milan: «When he called me in the locker room to tell me that I would play in the starting lineup the next day, I realized that I could really go a long way, also thanks to him», admits Donnarumma.

Not just football. Here you are Gigio’s perfect day: «In the morning I train, in the afternoon I go home and take an hour’s nap, then I go to the park with my fiancée and the little dog. In the evening I have dinner and afterwards I see a good film». What if he hadn’t become a champion with the ball? No basketball, “despite my height I’m very negative”, she jokes. Therefore? «I would have liked to try tennis, it’s my hobby. I play often, I like it. I think I would have become very good.” Who knows, in the meantime we keep him close as a goalkeeper.