Donnarumma: Italy Aims for Control, World Cup Loss Still Hurts

Gianluigi Donnarumma acknowledges the Italian squad's effort to steer clear of discussing their World Cup play-off defeat, instead directing their focus towards upcoming matches under Roberto Mancini. Donnarumma stated, "We want to control the game."

The upcoming fixture is the team's first competitive match since their loss in the 2026 World Cup play-off final against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That game saw Italy play with ten men for a significant portion following Alessandro Bastoni's red card.

"It's been very tough," Donnarumma confessed to Sky Sport Italia. "It's hard to even describe. This has been a long, difficult summer, but we must move forward. We are eager, it's a new chapter. Tomorrow we have a significant game, and the fans, like us, are disappointed. It's our responsibility to reignite their passion and make them fall in love with the Azzurri jersey again."

Several new players have joined the squad since the Bosnia match. Among them is Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano, who is expected to start against Belgium. "I've been impressed with everyone; they are all strong players. Alessandro Romano really stood out to me, but there's considerable talent among the younger players, and I'm confident they will represent the future of the Nazionale. We, the more experienced players, must help them integrate and navigate challenging moments."

When asked if the players who participated in the World Cup play-off had discussed what went wrong, Donnarumma replied, "Honestly, there was no discussion among us, aside from a brief moment today. The pain is still too raw to revisit that setback. Our focus must be on the future, on building a strong Nazionale. Coach Mancini will be instrumental in guiding us."

Donnarumma, who was part of the EURO 2020 winning squad under Mancini, expressed a desire to return to that style of play after the tenures of Luciano Spalletti and Gennaro Gattuso. "We truly believe in his philosophy. We aim to be proactive, positive, and aggressive, to dominate the game. We face formidable opponents in the Nations League, but our objective is to take charge and control the match. We've learned from the Euros and want to regain the fans' affection for the Azzurri."