New Headline: "Donnarumma Faces Up Close to Champions League Final Despite His 'Blind Ambition'
“He struggled to maintain concentration” – Mental coach details Gianluigi Donnarumma’s Paris Saint-Germain struggles Gianluigi Donnarumma’s resurgence at Manchester City has been strengthened by personal resilience, with his former mental coach revealing the psychological challenges he faced in recent years. Since joining Manchester City , the Italian goalkeeper has had an excellent season, helping Pep Guardiola’s team in key moments across a transitional year at the Etihad Stadium after Hugo Viana replaced Txiki Begiristain as sporting director in 2025. Donnarumma ‘s performances in England have altered the narrative about his career, which had been marked by occasions of criticism and controversy despite his consistent success at the highest level for AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain in the first decade of his professional career.
His most recent significant success was with PSG, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League trophy last season. However, his relationship with the French giants deteriorated over a contract dispute in the months after the Ligue 1 side’s European success – and as a result, Donnarumma joined Manchester City on the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window. “100 per cent, always!
” – Manchester City stars manifesting Real Madrid comeback after first leg humbling Why did Gianluigi Donnarumma face criticism in Milan after joining Paris Saint-Germain? The 27-year-old’s move to the Etihad Stadium gave him a chance to rebuild momentum in a system that is known for being challenging for goalkeepers, with Ederson leaving for Fenerbahce on the same day as Donnarumma’s Manchester City move was confirmed. Donnarumma also faced a lot of difficulties in the early years of his career.
He was a big talent at AC Milan but when he chose not to renew his contract to leave his boyhood club for free, he faced a lot of criticism in Italy. Many AC Milan fans saw the decision as a betrayal and the Italy international has since been booed every time he returned back to the San Siro after that incident. The psychological weight of that reaction was significant.
According to mental performance coach Nicoletta Romanazzi , who worked with the goalkeeper during his time in Paris, maintaining concentration and managing external pressure became critical aspects of his development. What mental challenges did the Manchester City goalkeeper overcome in France? Speaking to Corriere della Sera , Romanazzi described the challenges Donnarumma faced in maintaining focus in high-pressure situations.
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