Donnarumma Finally Speaks Out on Musiala Injury Controversy Following Neuer's Sharp Criticism
Paris Saint-Germain's shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma has maintained that it's unjust to hold him responsible for the injury sustained by Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala during the Club World Cup encounter.
PSG managed to defeat Bayern 2-0 in their quarterfinal clash, though the match was overshadowed by Musiala's first-half injury, which will sideline him for approximately five months due to a confirmed ankle dislocation and fibula break.
Bayern's keeper Manuel Neuer criticized Donnarumma following the incident. The Italian's effort to collect the ball didn't impress Neuer, who pointed fingers at his counterpart for "accepting the danger of harming his rival" during a conversation with Sky Sports Germany.
Addressing the backlash, Donnarumma, who appeared devastated on the field when Musiala's injury severity became clear, shared with La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I am deeply disturbed by what occurred, it was absolutely not my goal to harm Musiala."
Donnarumma's representative, Vincenzo Raiola, objected to Neuer's remarks and countered claims that the PSG goalkeeper's response to the situation was inadequate.
"It's about split seconds," Raiola explained. "Just an instant can transform a save into a penalty situation. Gigio reached the ball first and couldn't avoid the collision anymore. It's wrong to believe he intended to injure Musiala, whom we hope heals quickly to return even stronger."
"He didn't want to act like nothing occurred. Gigio is an extremely compassionate person. He couldn't bear witnessing the scene and chose to step away to allow medical staff to attend to Musiala properly. Back in the dressing room, he even activated his phone. Throughout our years of collaboration, he's never done this. Typically, he switches it off an hour before kickoff to focus on the match and reactivates it post-game. This time he messaged me expressing his distress and confirming it wasn't intentional."
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois entered the discussion, supporting Donnarumma and implying that Neuer's anger likely arose from frustration about witnessing a teammate get hurt.
"Holding Donnarumma accountable for Musiala's injury appears unreasonable to me," Courtois stated. "Keepers pursue the ball. Attackers don't hesitate when they obstruct us either. It's unfortunate circumstances. It affects him more since they're teammates, but Donnarumma bears no responsibility."
Agent Raiola appreciated this backing for Donnarumma.
"Actually, I comprehend Neuer," he finished. "As Courtois mentions, it's natural for him to support his teammate. He's also correct when stating you can react differently. That's accurate, but we're all unique and everyone responds as they're able to.
"This was a playing incident in the ongoing battle between goalkeepers and strikers. In December, Gigio nearly lost vision in one eye during a collision with a Monaco player. Neuer also struck [Gonzalo] Higuaín in 2014, during an international match. He later apologized despite acknowledging he wanted to prevent danger for his team, knowing he risked injuring his opponent."