logo
Soccer-Donnarumma confirms imminent departure from PSG after being axed by Luis Enrique

Soccer-Donnarumma confirms imminent departure from PSG after being axed by Luis Enrique

Hindustan Times5 days ago
UDINE, Italy, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Gianluigi Donnarumma confirmed his imminent departure from Paris St Germain after he was effectively axed from the squad by manager Luis Enrique, who left the Italian keeper out of the Super Cup line-up. HT Image
Donnarumma played an instrumental role in PSG's treble-winning campaign last season, helping them to finally win the Champions League for the first time.
However, the 26-year-old, who joined the club in 2021, has now been left out in the cold.
PSG signed French keeper Lucas Chevalier on Saturday, fuelling speculation about Donnarumma's future, and with one year left on his contract, the Italian is now set to move on.
"Unfortunately, someone has decided that I can no longer be part of the group and contribute to the team's success," Donnarumma posted on social media on Tuesday.
"I am disappointed and disheartened."
The keeper's omission from the PSG squad to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday was the main focus of the manager's press conference.
"These are always hard decisions to make. I can only say good things about Gianluigi Donnarumma," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"He is one of the best players in his position, without any doubt. He is even better as a person, but we were looking for a different profile of keeper.
"Bearing in mind the level of Gianluigi Donnarumma and everything he has given to the club, of course we understand the situation but my aim is to improve the team and I have tried to do that in the best way possible."
Italian reporters were understandably more concerned with the Donnarumma situation than with the match against Spurs, but the PSG manager soon grew tired of the subject.
"No more questions on this. It is my decision, it is the club's decision and the club backs me," Luis Enrique said.
"We now need to find the best solution for all parties."
Donnarumma's next club has yet to be decided, and the keeper would like the chance to bid farewell to the PSG supporters.
"I hope to have the opportunity to look the fans at the Parc des Princes in the eyes one more time and say goodbye as it should be done," Donnarumma wrote.
"If that doesn't happen, I want you to know that your support and affection mean the world to me and I will never forget it.
"Playing for this club and living in this city has been an immense honour. Thank you Paris."
PSG captain Marquinhos also spoke about the Donnarumma situation during his press conference.
"It is always difficult. I have been here for 12 or 13 years and I have seen other players go through the same thing," the Brazilian defender said.
"Life is like that and football is like that. One day I will leave as well, I hope it will be in the best possible conditions but players come and go and the club remains, the fans remain, and history remains.
"We don't know if he is going to leave or stay. If he stays of course we will welcome him back with open arms.
"Because what he did last season was incredible and it is thanks to him that we reached the final and we won the trophy. But if he has to leave we will thank him." (Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PSG begins Ligue 1 title defense with a scrappy win at Nantes, Giroud scores for new club Lille
PSG begins Ligue 1 title defense with a scrappy win at Nantes, Giroud scores for new club Lille

Hindustan Times

time12 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

PSG begins Ligue 1 title defense with a scrappy win at Nantes, Giroud scores for new club Lille

PARIS (AP) — Vitinha broke the deadlock with the aid of a lucky deflection as Paris Saint-Germain began its Ligue 1 title defense with an unconvincing 1-0 win at Nantes on Sunday. HT Image Champions League winner PSG looked short of ideas, just as it had for long spells against Europa League champion Tottenham during the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday. Portugal midfielder Vitinha collected the ball about 20 meters out and his strike clipped defender Chidozie Awaziem as he tried to duck under the ball, before wrong-footing goalkeeper Anthony Lopes in the 67th minute. That proved enough for coach Luis Enrique's side, which was again without goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italy No. 1 wants to leave PSG after it bought Lucas Chevalier from Lille and has been linked with a move to Manchester City. PSG A scrappy first half saw little creativity, and neither Chevalier or Lopes had much to do. Nantes coach Luis Castro may regret leaving his best striker Matthis Abline on the bench until the 60th minute. Abline is pursuing a move away from Nantes, which looked much sharper when he came on. Veteran striker Olivier Giroud took only 11 minutes to score on his return to Ligue 1, but it was not enough as his new side Lille drew 3-3 at Brest. Giroud was picked out by Felix Correia's clever pass behind the defense and finished with a left-footed shot under the goalkeeper. The 38-year-old Giroud became Lille's oldest scorer in Ligue 1 and he lasted the whole game. 'It was a special moment for me and I'm happy to be back in Ligue 1,' Giroud told broadcaster DAZN. 'The coach asked me several times how I was feeling and I said I wanted to play until the end.' Midfielder Hakon Arnar Haraldsson made it 2-0 before Kamory Doumbia scored twice to level the match. Lille regained the lead midway through the second half when Ngal'ayel Mukau scored following a corner, but Julien Le Cardinal equalized. Striker Esteban Lepaul's early goal was enough for Angers to win 1-0 at home to newly promoted Paris FC despite having midfielder Louis Mouton sent off in the 57th. Striker Lassine Sinayoko scored early in the second half as Auxerre won 1-0 at home against Lorient, which was promoted as Ligue 2 winner. Metz started with 16-year-old prospect Brian Madjo in attack but conceded a late goal in a 1-0 home loss to Strasbourg. New signing Joaquin Panichelli scored for the visitors. Giroud joined Lille after a disappointing spell with Los Angeles FC. He previously made his name with AC Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal — the club he joined from Montpellier after winning the French title in 2012 and scoring 21 league goals that season. Giroud is France's all-time leading men's scorer with 57 goals and won the 2018 World Cup with Les Bleus. 'I wanted to challenge myself one more time,' Giroud said. ___ AP soccer:

Luis Díaz scores for Bayern to win German Supercup on his debut
Luis Díaz scores for Bayern to win German Supercup on his debut

The Hindu

time12 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Luis Díaz scores for Bayern to win German Supercup on his debut

Luis Díaz scored and won a title on his Bayern Munich debut after a 2-1 win over Stuttgart in the German Supercup. Harry Kane also scored for the Bundesliga champion to win the least important trophy of the season, opening the scoring in the 18th minute when the ball dropped kindly for him to shoot inside the left post. 'To start with a trophy is the most important thing,' Kane said after winning just his second career team title. The Bundesliga in May was his first. Bayern dominated the early stages but Stuttgart fought back with Nick Woltemade drawing a good save from Manuel Neuer. Woltemade was and possibly still is a summer transfer target for Bayern. The clubs have so far been unable to agree on a fee despite the player's openness to the move. 'The file is closed,' Stuttgart chief executive Alexander Wehrle said before the game. Díaz joined Bayern from Liverpool last month and remains the club's biggest deal of the offseason. Neuer produced an outstanding reflex save to deny Jamie Leweling two minutes before Díaz scored in the 77th when Leweling was receiving off-field treatment after clashing knees with Bayern's Sacha Boey. 'Undoubtedly painful, but still, and perhaps unpopular, but he needs to feel the pain on the field and not two meters away from it,' Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß said. Leweling recovered and headed Stuttgart's answer in stoppage time. It's the fourth year that German soccer officials have staged what was the traditional curtain-raiser for the season on the same weekend as the first round of the German Cup, forcing the participants to postpone their cup games. Stuttgart starts its title defence at Eintracht Braunschweig on Aug. 26 with Bayern playing third-division side Wehen Wiesbaden the following day. German Cup games Wolfsburg routed fifth-tier SV Hemelingen 9-0 in the first round of the German Cup, and other Bundesliga teams also enjoyed big wins over lower-league opposition. Two-time champion Leipzig twice came from behind to beat fourth-tier SV Sandhausen 4-2 with new signings Ezechiel Banzuzi and Yan Diomande scoring. Heidenheim won at 10-man fourth-tier Bahlinger SC 5-0, Hoffenheim won at third-division Hansa Rostock 4-0, and Freiburg won at fourth-tier club Sportfreunde Lotte 2-0. Hamburger SV, which clinched its return to the Bundesliga last season, survived a scare at fifth-tier Pirmasens, equalizing late to send the match to extra time, where Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer headed the winner for 2-1. Königsdörffer was playing for Hamburg only because a proposed early August move to Nice broke down after his medical check with the French team. Bochum also needed a late goal to level before prevailing at nine-man Dynamo Berlin 3-1. St. Pauli needed penalties to get past fourth-tier Hamburg rival Eintracht Norderstedt, while fourth-tier Bavarian team FV Illertissen upset Miroslav Klose's Nuremberg by winning 6-5 on penalties after their game ended 3-3 with extra time. Also, second-division side Darmstadt won at fourth-tier Lübeck 2-1, and third-division Energie Cottbus won 1-0 to upset Hannover, which is playing in the division above.

East Bengal beats Mohun Bagan in Kolkata Derby, sets up Durand Cup 2025 semifinal clash against Diamond Harbour
East Bengal beats Mohun Bagan in Kolkata Derby, sets up Durand Cup 2025 semifinal clash against Diamond Harbour

The Hindu

time16 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

East Bengal beats Mohun Bagan in Kolkata Derby, sets up Durand Cup 2025 semifinal clash against Diamond Harbour

East Bengal came with a nice essay of attacking football to prevail over its traditional rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant 2-1 in the fourth quarterfinal of the Durand Cup 2025 tournament at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday. East Bengal will now take on the newcomer Diamond Harbour FC, which surprised Jamshedpur FC in the third quarterfinal held earlier in the day, in the second semifinal at the same venue on Wednesday. East Bengal went ahead in the 38th minute when Dimitrios Diamantakos, who came on as a 17th minute substitute for an injured Hamid Ahadad, converted a penalty to keep his side ahead in the first half. The Greek forward scored again soon after the break to double East Bengal's lead in the 52nd minute. AS IT HAPPENED | Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal highlights Mohun Bagan pulled one back through Anirudh Thapa in the 68th minute but that was not enough to stop East Bengal from securing the well-deserved win. Making a departure from its recent performances East Bengal showed a sprightly approach putting the Indian Super League double title winner Mohun Bagan under pressure right from the start. Bringing in a host of new faces in the side this season, East Bengal showed a remarkable transformation and mounted repeated attacks to put Mohun Bagan's defence under pressure for a protracted period. The Red and Gold Brigade's dominance was sparked by its attacking efficiency that was highlighted by the effective combination of its Brazilian play-maker Miguel Ferreira with wingers Bipin Singh and Naorem Mahesh Singh. And with Diamantakos showing a great sharpness in the box it was only a matter of time before East Bengal picked up the lead. Mohun Bagan came back briefly in the game and reduced the margin with a nice goal from Anurudh Thapa in the 68th minute but the goal seemed to have come a bit too late as East Bengal sealed up its defence to preserve the lead till the end. | Photo Credit: Durand Cup Media Diamantakos struck the target from the spot after Bipin was brought down inside the box by Mohun Bagan's Asish Rai and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Before Mohun Bagan could regroup to find an equaliser, East Bengal doubled the lead to gain the psychological edge in the 52nd minute. Diamantakos picked up an assist from Mahesh and finished it with a sharp turn as the stands erupted in wild celebration expecting a long deserved win. Mohun Bagan came back briefly in the game and reduced the margin with a nice goal from Anurudh Thapa in the 68th minute but the goal seemed to have come a bit too late as East Bengal sealed up its defence to preserve the lead till the end.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store