Donnarumma admits 'I had wanted to stay' at PSG

Gianluigi Donnarumma admitted to reporters on Monday that he would have preferred to stay at Paris Saint-Germain before a shock switch to Manchester City this month.

Donnarumma, winner of the best goalkeeper award at the Ballon d'Or award ceremony on Monday for his key role in PSG's Champions League triumph last season, replied "yes "when asked if he would have liked to stay with the club.

"When you have shared a lot with people, and spent a lot of time and made friends, it's difficult (to leave)," he admitted.

Donnarumma, 26, was allowed to leave after PSG signed French goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier this summer.

Donnarumma added he was now settled at City, where he has signed a five-year contract, with British media reporting that City paid 30 million pounds ($40.54 million) for the keeper.

"But, the truth is that I have found an extraordinary club (City), with extraordinary players, and they welcomed me like a big family, and that is important for me," he said.

"Change is difficult, but at (PSG) I had found really extraordinary supporters, extraordinary players, the staff, the coach, the sporting director, the president. That is why I had wanted to stay."

Donnarumma won the Yashin trophy for the second time on Monday and thanked his former PSG teammates for their part in his brilliant season.

"This is wonderful, congratulations to the whole team, without them I wouldn't be here, it was the whole team," he said.

He also won the award in 2021 after Italy won the COVID-delayed 2020 European Championship.

Silva fumes

Meanwhile, Donnarumma's captain at Manchester City, Bernardo Silva, slammed soccer's schedule makers for lacking respect and fairness after his side was given little time to prepare for its clash with Arsenal.

City kicked off its 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday just 66 hours after the final whistle in its Champions League home win over Italian side Napoli.

While Pep Guardiola's team had virtually no time to rest and recover from the Napoli game before the crucial Premier League showdown in north London, Arsenal had played its Champions League opener at Athletic Bilbao 48 hours earlier than City on Tuesday.

Silva felt City's tiredness was decisive as Arsenal dominated after Erling Haaland's early strike, before snatching a stoppage-time equalizer through Gabriel Martinelli.

Guardiola had named an unchanged side against Arsenal rather than rotating his players, but Silva is convinced it was the pressure of the fixture list that was to blame for City's late frustration.

"The reality is we cannot come into one of the most important games of the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest. It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right," he said.

"They had five days and we had two-and-a-half days. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen. It is just not enough.

"I wasn't feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don't know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be at your best.

"We saw (Abdukodir) Khusanov getting injured because these games demand a lot. I feel it is just frustrating that we couldn't be at our best level, simply because of the decision of someone that thinks it is fair to come away after two-and-a-half fewer days rest than Arsenal."

Echoing the complaints of many of his peers as the demands on players grow, Silva believes such a quick turnaround is too much of a burden to shoulder.

"Look, the schedule is the schedule, and I understand you have different competitions, and UEFA, the Premier League, and the broadcasters want to make their money," he said.

"What we ask for is common sense, because this is one of the biggest games of the season. The players need to be in the same physical condition, otherwise I don't think it is fair."

Agencies