Donnarumma texted his agent after Musiala injury: ‘It was never my intention’
Manuel Neuer criticised Gigio Donnarumma after his involvement in the Jamal Musiala injury, but the Italy captain insists it was ‘never’ his intention to hurt the Bayern Munich star.
Musiala is expected to miss at least five months of action after a shocking injury in a Club World Cup match against PSG, which occurred after a collision with Donnarumma.
Neuer criticised the Italy captain, saying that he was ready to accept the risk of injuring his opponent.
Donnarumma didn’t mean to hurt Musiala
Gigio explained his view in a brief statement released to Gazzetta: “I’m shaken by what happened. It was never my intention to hurt Musiala.”
Donnarumma’s agent Enzo Raiola also explained the incident: “It’s a matter of split seconds. It only takes a moment for a save to turn into a penalty fault. Gigio got on the ball first and couldn’t avoid the collision anymore,” he said.
“It’s unfair to think he intended to hurt Musiala, to whom he wishes a speedy recovery and hopes to come back stronger than ever.”
Neuer even argued that Donnarumma was wrong to walk away from Musiala after the collision, almost as if he didn’t want to check on his opponent.
Donnarumma texted his agent after Musiala’s injury
“He didn’t want to pretend that nothing had happened. Gigio is a very sensitive person,” continued Raiola.
“He couldn’t bear to stay there and preferred to walk away so the doctors could give Musiala the best care. Once in the locker room, he even turned on his phone. Usually, he turns it off one hour before kick-off to only focus on the match and switches it back on after the game. This time, he messaged me to say he was shaken and that it wasn’t intentional.
“Honestly, I understand Neuer. As Courtois said, it’s normal for a player to defend his teammate,” Raiola concluded.
“He’s also right when he says it’s possible to behave differently. We’re all different, and everyone reacts in their own way. Back in December, Gigio almost lost an eye in a clash with a Monaco player. Even Neuer, in 2014, hit Higuain with his fists while coming out during an international match. He later apologised, even though he admitted he was trying to avoid danger for his team, knowing he risked injuring his opponent.”
Donnarumma’s PSG have reached the Club World Cup semifinal, where they will face Real Madrid on July 9.
Donnarumma has won the treble, including the Champions League, with PSG this season.