Donnarumma: Guardiola's paradox or evolution?

Discarded by PSG for his poor footwork, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been recruited by Pep Guardiola, the modern evangelist of playing out from the back.

Guardiola has coached for 20 years, leading three clubs in three countries through hundreds of matches and winning countless trophies. His philosophy and methods have been dissected in numerous books, to the point where his approach seems like an open book. Yet, one of the reasons he remains captivating is his unpredictability and his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.

Guardiola directs Man City in a training session on 13/9. Photo: Man City

Guardiola directs Man City in a training session on 13/9. Photo: Man City

Guardiola defies categorization.

He despises the term "tiki-taka," often associated with his style, insisting he's never coached teams to play that way. He once envisioned a team composed entirely of midfielders, yet he achieved a treble with Man City featuring a back four of John Stones, Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, and Manuel Akanji.

Guardiola's forward lines have historically favored false nines, no nines, or all-around nines—anything but a classic number 9. Yet, he signed Erling Haaland, a striker who doesn't fit his typical mold.

When Haaland arrived at the Etihad, the English media highlighted his perceived limitations by Guardiola's standards: ball control, passing, link-up play, and touches. This assessment, while fair, overlooked the primary reason for his signing: his exceptional goalscoring ability.

Three seasons in Manchester have proven Haaland's worth. He's scored 100 goals in 88 games for Man City, becoming the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals and winning the Golden Boot in his first two seasons. He's projected to break Alan Shearer's all-time scoring record with four years remaining on his 9.5-year contract. In football, scoring goals is the ultimate and most challenging objective.

A common perception is that every Guardiola signing must conform to his philosophy, changing to fit his mold. However, the converse is often overlooked: Guardiola adapts to his players. This adaptability reveals the 54-year-old coach's constant evolution.

Coach Guardiola gives instructions before bringing Erling Haaland onto the pitch during Man City's 3-1 victory over Burnley in the 22nd round of the Premier League at Etihad Stadium on 31/1/2024. Photo: Reuters

Donnarumma: The 'Haaland' of goalkeepers

Haaland's story mirrors that of his new teammate, another giant, Donnarumma. In the final days of the 2025 summer transfer window, Man City unexpectedly signed Donnarumma, marking a radical shift in their goalkeeping profile to fill the void left by Ederson. Luis Enrique, a coach from the same school of thought as Pep, was the one who pushed the Italian goalkeeper out of PSG.

Donnarumma debuted for AC Milan at 16 and for Italy at 17. Now 26, he's approaching 500 career appearances. Born for pressure, he carried the expectation of becoming the "next Gigi Buffon" and unflinchingly became Serie A's highest-paid teenager.

Donnarumma was named Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament as Italy won their first title in over 60 years. France Football awarded him the Yashin Trophy for Best Goalkeeper the following year, an award he was expected to win again this year after playing a crucial role in PSG's first Champions League title.

The 2024-2025 Champions League season showcased Donnarumma's value, despite past errors. He shone in big games, like against Liverpool and Arsenal en route to the title. Opta data shows that during his four years at PSG, Donnarumma prevented 17.7 expected goals in Ligue 1 and 5.2 in the Champions League. Notably, in the 2023-2024 season, he prevented nearly 13 goals in Ligue 1, a career-best in Paris.

Over the past decade, only two goalkeepers in Europe's top five leagues have prevented more goals above average (40.5) than Donnarumma: Jan Oblak (45.4) and Brice Samba (41).

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma makes a save against Marcus Rashford in PSG's 2-3 loss to Aston Villa at Villa Park, Birmingham, England in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on 15/4/2025. Photo: AFP

In contrast, Man City's former goalkeeper, Ederson, had a less impressive record. Over the past four years, the goalkeeper who recently moved to Fenerbahce only prevented 1.9 goals in the Premier League and conceded 3.7 more than expected in the Champions League. The difference in shot-stopping ability between Donnarumma and Ederson is evident.

As the only goalkeeper and the only Italian player on the 2025 Ballon d'Or shortlist, Donnarumma's achievements seem undervalued. Part of this stems from the contract dramas orchestrated by the late Mino Raiola's team, leading to Donnarumma's controversial PSG exit.

The other, more crucial reason, admitted by Enrique, was a philosophical mismatch. Enrique's insistence on parting ways with Donnarumma due to his limited footwork is no secret. From his first season at Parc des Princes, Enrique displayed his dissatisfaction with Donnarumma's ball-handling. Most recently, Donnarumma faltered in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final against Bayern: under constant pressure, he resorted to long clearances, gifting opportunities to the opponent.

For both Guardiola and Enrique, a goalkeeper isn't just a shot-stopper but an eleventh outfield player. Finding unmarked teammates or participating in build-up play to break pressing is crucial.

Ederson, with his excellent footwork, can distribute the ball like a deep-lying playmaker, short or long. He knows when to pass to center-backs, find full-backs, or launch long balls to exploit runs behind the defense. Guardiola praised him as "the best goalkeeper I've ever seen in distributing the ball." Last season, the Brazilian had four assists from long clearances in the Premier League, while Donnarumma, at 6'5" and seemingly clumsy on the ball, has never registered an assist.

Guardiola discarded a goalkeeper with good footwork, aligning with his philosophy, to sign Donnarumma, a goalkeeper not known for this skill. Photo: Goal

Guardiola discarded a goalkeeper with good footwork, aligning with his philosophy, to sign Donnarumma, a goalkeeper not known for this skill. Photo: Goal

Upon arriving at Man City in 2016, Guardiola immediately replaced fan favorite Joe Hart with Claudio Bravo from Barca for his footwork. However, after a disappointing season, Bravo was replaced by Ederson. The Brazilian, along with compatriot Alisson at Liverpool, set a new standard for goalkeeping in the Premier League.

Man City's $36 million reacquisition of their academy product, James Trafford, this summer suggested a continued preference for ball-playing goalkeepers. However, the Donnarumma opportunity and subsequent transfer seem to reset this approach, opting for a goalkeeper with qualities opposite to his Brazilian predecessor.

In modern football, with diverse styles and philosophies, there's no absolute "right" or "wrong." Had Donnarumma joined Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, his footwork might be less scrutinized. Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak are expected to keep clean sheets above all else; ball-playing is secondary.

The Italians say, "You can marry the wrong wife, but you can't sign the wrong goalkeeper or striker." Recent Champions League winners Real Madrid and PSG exemplify this. Courtois and Donnarumma were outstanding shot-stoppers, while their attacks boasted players with exceptional speed and dribbling skills.

Perhaps, after Man City's most challenging season, conceding more goals and starting the new season with two losses in three games, preventing goals has become Guardiola's priority. In a world without midfield-playing strikers, without Kevin De Bruyne or Ilkay Gundogan, and with Rodri still regaining form, Guardiola seems to acknowledge his Man City is more chaotic, less controlled, and more susceptible to counter-attacks. In this context, Donnarumma's reflexes and shot-stopping prowess are an irresistible asset.

Donnarumma at Man City training on 11/9. Photo: Man City

Donnarumma at Man City training on 11/9. Photo: Man City

Guardiola constantly adjusts his philosophy. Man City must also evolve, perhaps compromising between ball distribution and shot-stopping. Donnarumma's solidity in goal could be the key to this new direction: prioritizing maximum efficiency at one end, while Haaland ensures maximum efficiency at the other.

Donnarumma is, in a way, the "Haaland of goalkeepers." His weaknesses are highlighted, while his fundamental talent continues to be undervalued.

Compiled by Hoang Thong

By VnExpress: https://vnexpress.net/donnarumma-nghich-ly-hay-su-tien-hoa-cua-guardiola-4938855.html