Gianluigi Donnarumma has thanked the Italian FA for re-appointing former Manchester City head coach Roberto Mancini, after they were rejected by Pep Guardiola. City's legendary manager left the Etihad Stadium in the summer after overseeing years of dominance in the Premier League.
Guardiola's exit and Italy's approach
Announcing his exit, Guardiola confirmed that he would be taking some time away from football to reset. Those closest to the Catalonian questioned how long he would be able to stay away from the sport, and that was proven when he popped up in the stands at this summer's World Cup, watching Scotland.
After missing out on that tournament, Italy approached Guardiola to become their next head coach. They informed Guardiola that he would be allowed to shape the squad as he saw fit, and offered him a lucrative contract. However, he declined the proposal, instead choosing to rest, spend more time with his family and travel. Guardiola also started a new role as an ambassador for the City Football Group after leaving the Blues.
Mancini's return and Donnarumma's reaction
This left Italy in a hole, having already been rejected by Carlo Ancelotti before turning to Guardiola. Eventually, they convinced former City boss Mancini to return to the national team. He previously led Italy to Euro 2020 glory and will take charge of his first game back tonight when Italy face Belgium in the Nations League.
Ahead of the game, Donnarumma said: "[Italian FA] President, thank you, this is exactly what the squad and I wanted. The message with the President was a private matter. With all due respect for the other coaches close to the Nazionale, I congratulated the President because we already have a bond of great affection with Mancini, for what we experienced together and what we won. So yes, I am happy."
Targets for the national team
In a separate interview with Sky Sports, Donnarumma set out the clear target for his national team. "We have to work. The only way forward is to work," he added.
"There has now been a change of coach, the return of Mr Mancini - and the objective is to work and try to take Italy back to where it deserves to be. I know it's not easy for the fans, but especially for us, because only we know how much it means to us to play in a competition like the World Cup.
"So we'll give everything to bring Italy back to where it deserves to be. We have a great responsibility because history says that Italy should always be there. History has taught us that. So we have to bring Italy back to where it belongs."
