For nearly 20 years, Italian supporters have blessed two goalkeepers: Francesco Toldo, so brilliant during Euro-2000, and especially Gianluigi Buffon, one of the great architects of the world title gleaned in 2006. Now, the tifosi have a another last rampart responding to the same first name to be excessively idolized.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was awe-inspiring, Sunday 11 July, in the Euro-2021 final won against England.

"I am like Buffon? He remains the best of all, but I try to be always ready", he evacuated at the microphone of the Rai after the meeting.

"We'll see where I get to."

The Three Lions hoped they had done the hard part by breaking their vigilance from the start thanks to Luke Shaw, lethal with his half-volley at close range after one minute and 56 seconds.

There wasn't much that "Gigio" Donnarumma could do about this.

But behind him, he and his partners in the Nazionale rearguard laid the foundations for Italian success and the English nightmare.

"Quiet", sure of himself, Donnarumma enchanted Italy

After the equalizer snatched by Leonardo Bonucci (67th) and long minutes of tension without another goal, the 22-year-old goalkeeper came into action, when Mr. Björn Kuipers whistled the end of the 120 minutes of play and, consequently, the start of the penalty shoot-out.

Not enough to scare Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has never lost in this exercise since the start of his career when he has bowed to it five times.

"Before the penalty shoot-out I was calm. I know what I'm capable of doing," he told beIN Sports later in the evening.

GIGIO!

😍😍😍 # RinascimentoAzzurro # Nazionale #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/rUHuS0sLj3

- Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Vivo_Azzurro) July 11, 2021

This session had started badly for the Squadra Azzurra, led 2-1 after two shots.

Leonardo Bonucci reduced his to 2-2, before the psychological battle between Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marcus Rashford.

The keeper dived on the wrong side, but the striker, who had slowed his run to trouble his opponent, crossed his shot too much and found the post: 2-2, perfect tie after three shots on each side.

After the successful shot by Federico Bernardeschi (3-2), Jadon Sancho presented himself in turn against the 1.96m giant.

Like Rashford earlier, Sancho came in just to take part in this session.

And like his compatriot, the neo-Mancunien failed.

He found Donnarumma's gloves.

Jorginho had the coronation ball at the end of his foot, but Pickford pushed him back.

Perhaps it was written that the hero of the evening would be the guardian of the Azzurri.

Bukayo Saka, the ultimate English shooter, stumbled on the firm gloves of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In a devastated Wembley stadium, a young man of 22 years snatched from the English this title they dreamed of so much.

Soon in the PSG cage

In the semifinals, the Italian goalkeeper had already postponed the shot on goal of the Spaniard Alvaro Morata.

And earlier in this Euro, Gianluigi Donnarumma and his fellow goalkeepers Lessio Cragno, Alex Meret and Salvatore Sirigu broke Italy's record without conceding a goal: 1,168 minutes of unbeaten time between October 2020 and June 2021, against 1,143 minutes for Dino Zoff alone between 1972 and 1974.

"I have great regard for him. He is young, he has already played many seasons with Milan and played a lot for the national team. The obvious is that he has important prospects to become a great. goalkeeper. Then it will depend on him, but the possibilities are immense ", enthusiastically his a glorious predecessor on the record, before the final.

Despite his surprise, he was awarded the trophy for Best Player of Euro 2021, before Squadra Azzurra lifted this trophy after which they had been chasing for 53 years.

One more proof of the new dimension of Gianluigi Donnarumma on the football planet.

"It's a dream, I don't know what to say. It's exceptional, we made history. We deserve what happens to us. We have an exceptional group, we love each other, we know where we're from. Nobody believed in us, but we're here today, "he said after lifting the trophy.

The phenomenon will soon be at work in France, in all likelihood.

The information is not yet official, but the goalkeeper must join PSG.

AC Milan, its training club, has already found its replacement in the person of Mike Maignan.

Paris already has an excellent goalkeeper with Keylor Navas.

But the Donnarumma opportunity was too good, since he was at the end of his contract in Lombardy.

And with its performance this summer 2021, PSG is undoubtedly even more convinced.

Italy has already adopted it.

🇮🇹 Scenes as Italy become EURO 2020 winners!

🥳 # EURO2020 |

#ITA pic.twitter.com/9lcOqsP7r7

- UEFA EURO 2020 (@ EURO2020) July 11, 2021

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