The dramatic penalty shootout that sealed Bosnia’s 4-1 victory over Italy and sent the Azzurra crashing out of the World Cup will also be remembered for a scene that is sure to spark plenty of debate.
The main figure in the controversy was Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose actions caused strong outrage among the hosts.
After a 1-1 draw in normal time and extra time, the qualification had to be decided from the penalty spot.
Sebastiano Esposito took Italy’s first kick, but blasted the ball over the crossbar.
While Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj was celebrating his opponent’s miss, Donnarumma took advantage of the distraction, went behind the goal, and tore up Vasilj’s “cheat sheet” (notes about the Italian penalty takers).
Television footage clearly showed that the paper was damaged after the Italian’s interference.
Vasilj, who plays for Germany’s St. Pauli, noticed the move, was visibly irritated, and complained to the refereeing team.
Donnarumma had already received a yellow card during the match, but the referee chose not to show him a second booking for the incident.
In the end, the “gamesmanship” did nothing to help the Italians.
Vasilj did not even need to make a save to secure qualification.
The Azzurra sealed their tragic elimination after Bryan Cristante hit the crossbar with yet another missed penalty.
Only Sandro Tonali managed to convert for Italy. Did “Bosnian karma” strike?
Donnarumma’s frustration continued to spill over after the final whistle.
The Manchester City goalkeeper got involved in a brief scuffle with several Bosnian players and had to be physically restrained by assistant coach Leonardo Bonucci.
With the defeat, the Italian keeper suffers another heavy blow in his career: since making his national team debut in 2016, this will be the third consecutive time that he and Italy have failed to qualify for a World Cup.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
