Donnarumma has Italy advice for dealing with PSG stars | OneFootball

Gianluigi Donnarumma admits it will be ‘special’ to play for Italy against France in his ‘home’ stadium and will advise his teammates on how to deal with the PSG strikers.

The Nations League match kicks off at Parc des Princes in Paris on Friday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

“It is wonderful to be here, as Paris is my home, so it will be emotional to play there for Italy. It will be a special game,” Donnarumma told RAI Sport.

He has been a member of the Paris Saint-Germain squad since leaving Milan as a free agent in the summer of 2021.

The goalkeeper is also the Italy captain, as the player with the most senior caps under his belt, and they need leadership after a disastrous EURO 2024 campaign that ended against Switzerland in the Round of 16.

Is it good or bad to be starting the Nations League with such a tough fixture away to France?

“We need to give our best tomorrow, it’s a big challenge and coming so soon after the disappointment of the Euros. A new era begins here, we have work to do.

“We live to play games like this, so it is great to face a team like France. It will be a battle and we must take all the effort we put into training and pour it onto the pitch tomorrow.”

There are several current and former Paris Saint-Germain talents in the Bleus squad, so who will Donnarumma be warning his defenders about?

“We exchanged a few messages and jokes before I left for Coverciano. I have given some advice to my teammates on how to face them, but they are also very unpredictable. We cannot leave clear space for them to run into, because they are so quick and technically gifted.”

There are some new faces in the side, including Marco Brescianini and Caleb Okoli, while Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean return after almost a year out.

“I saw a very united group, including some new lads who settled in well. We want to do well, to prove we are a strong team, not the one seen at the Euros.”

Donnarumma ready for France-Italy