Highlights:
- Gianluigi Donnarumma creates history as he wins Playe of the Tournament at EURO 2020
- The 22 year old Italian footballer only conceded 3 goals on Azzurri’s run to glory
- In his 7 appearances, he kept 4 clean sheets
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been crowned the Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament with the 22-year-old being able to keep 4 clean sheets in his 7 appearances and just conceding 3 goals on the Azzurri’s run to glory.
In the semi-final against Spain, he made a key penalty shootout save from Álvaro Morata and repeated his heroics in the final of EURO 2020 against the Three Lions, denying first Jadon Sancho and then Bukayo Saka to deliver the trophy to Rome.
With his award, Donnarumma technically becomes the first goalkeeper to get his safe hands on it, with Peter Schmeichel being awarded the honour retrospectively for his performances in 1992.
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However, since the award’s official inception in 1996, the Italian is the first one to win it at the tournament.
? 3 clean sheets, 9 saves
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 11, 2021
? Semi-finals penalty shoot-out hero
? Final penalty shoot-out hero
UEFA's team of Technical Observers have named Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as their Player of the Tournament ???#EURO2020 | #ITA pic.twitter.com/HWGnaHLGkK
He is also the first man ever to win it as a free agent too, with his contract at Milan expiring last month and a move to PSG beckoning.
In the EURO 2020 Final, England took the lead early on in the 2nd minute of the match when Luke Shaw found the back of the net, and retained the lead until the second half of the game when in the 67th minute Leonardo Bonucci was able to level the score.
The game did not find any more goals and after the extra-time, it finally came to the penalties which the Italians won 3-2.