FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Italy were defeated by Bosnia on penalties, missing out on qualifying for the World Cup for the third time in a row. Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to save a single penalty kick, failing to compensate for the mistakes of his teammates, but became the protagonist of a controversial episode that saw him face to face with the opposing goalkeeper, Nikola Vasilj. The reason for all the tension was the “theft or war of cards”, which the two players had placed behind the goal and on which some information about the opposing penalty takers was written. The Balkan goalkeeper found it wrinkled, blaming the Italian for trying to tear it. “Gigio” seemed visibly irritated because he was convinced that his card had been stolen by Nikola Vasilj.
However, at the end of the match, the debate letter was published on social media by the ball collector who was near the goal. A chaos that created tension and confusion, which even referee Clément Turpin himself had difficulty managing.
The letter episode: tension between goalkeepers
After Pio Esposito missed his penalty, Gianluigi Donnarumma got into a heated argument with Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. The subject of the discussion was a small piece of paper on which the Bosnian goalkeeper had written down a series of information about how Italian players take penalties. According to reconstructions by the newspaper Bild, "Gigio" would have taken the paper and crumpled it up, making it illegible.
The footage of those moments, broadcast in the director's office, makes something clear, but the exact dynamics of the episode are not clear: the two goalkeepers are seen arguing, with the Italian particularly nervous. The French referee intervened to calm the situation, while the Bosnian goalkeeper showed the torn letter. Is it over? No.
The "mystery" of Gigio's missing letter
Despite the debate about the letter, the notes proved useless: Nikola Vasilj did not have to wait for any shots from the Italians. Pio Esposito's attempt ended on the crossbar, while Bryan Cristante's shot was stopped by the post. At that very moment, all illusions of Italy collapsed. The last hope was to rely on the big hands of Gigio, but it disappeared along with the letter he had brought with him. Two Bosnian ball pickers found it on the ground and picked it up, causing the Italian goalkeeper's frustration. Later, one of the two boys published on social networks the list of Italian penalty takers, which was further distributed by the Balkan media, fueling even more controversy. On the evening of Italy's repentance, there was also this.
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