Italy were under the radars before entering Euro 2020. Portugal and France were on top of the favourites list for most people and Italy were not taken into consideration by many.
However, after failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Italy has been on an unbeaten run ever since. Their unbeaten run continued to the Euro 2020 final as well and they are now on a 34-match unbeaten run stretching from 2018.
It has been a fairytale journey for the Azzurri. Buffon, who was under the bars when Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, passed on the baton to Donnarumma as he led Italy from the front and was crucial in both the semi-final and final penalty shootouts.
The former AC Milan goalkeeper has been named as the Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament by UEFA’s team of Technical Observers.
There are only two goalkeepers who have achieved this feat. Peter Schmeichel was retrospectively named Player of the Tournament by UEFA as the award was officially introduced in 1996. After its official introduction, Gianluigi Donnarumma is the first goalkeeper to win the Player of the Tournament award at European Championships.
Donnarumma was vital in both the semi-final and final shootouts for Italy. He made a key penalty shootout save of Álvaro Morata against Spain in the semi-final and again in the final, he repeated his heroics. He first denied Jadon Sancho from the spot and then again saved Bukayo Saka’s shot to bring the Euro 2020 trophy to Rome.
The 22-year-old is also the first footballer ever to win it as a free agent. His contract with AC Milan ended last month and he already had his medicals with PSG and the official announcement will be made soon but for the time being, he is a free agent now.
Gianluigi Donnarumma has done full justice after taking on the role of Gianluigi Buffon.
