Italy slumped to a disappointing 1-1 draw at North Macedonia on Luciano Spalletti’s touchline debut on Saturday evening. Ciro Immobile opened the scoring with his first international as the Azzurri captain before Enis Bardhi restored parity in the latter stages.
Gianluigi Donnarumma couldn’t deny the midfielder’s well-taken free-kick, condemning Italy to an underwhelming result in Skopje. Spalletti’s men head into their next Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine three points adrift of Serhiy Rebrov’s second-placed side.
Nothing less than a win would do for Italy if they were to reach the final tournament and get the chance to defend the crown. Whether Donnarumma would be between the sticks in that high-stakes match-up remains debatable.
As noticed by Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy fans have rushed to social media to blame the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper for another below-par performance. During his memorable time in Serie A with Milan, ‘Gigio’ developed into one of Europe’s most highly-rated stoppers.
However, his technical limitations continue to hinder his progress. And while Donnarumma’s career has hit a standstill, his Tottenham counterpart, Guglielmo Vicario, has gone from strength to strength during his early days in the Premier League.
Vicario’s stellar form in London has not gone unnoticed, with Italy fans urging Spalletti to consider benching Donnarumma for the ex-Empoli keeper. With the game against Ukraine fast approaching, the supporters won’t have to wait long to see whether their plea has found its way to the gaffer’s ears.
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