Declared on best footballer of the Eurocup, with only 22 years and after being decisive in the two consecutive penalty shootouts – against Spain and England – that earned Italy the title, Gianluigi Donnarumma is not an upstart despite his youth. And if not ask Diego López, the current Espanyol goalkeeper, who 'suffered' his spectacular irruption in Milan with only 16 years, to the point that in the summer of 2016 it ended up precipitating its arrival in Cornellà-El Prat on the last day of the market.
Asked by AS in an interview published last Christmas about whether Donnarumma is the greater force of nature that he has seen in a goal, Diego López answered bluntly: “The truth is that if. I always say that he has incredible talent, his 16-year-old physique was impressive, and he is breaking precocious records one after another.”. And the Lugo player, formerly of Real Madrid, Villarreal or Sevilla added: “When he entered it already cost me a little more, due to his quality, and in the end the opportunity for Espanyol arises for me. But I had two very good years in Milan. I learned a lot”.
Now Diego López, about to turn 40, returns with the parakeet set to First Division after having been awarded the Zamora award as best second goalkeeper, while Donnarumma undertakes a multi-million dollar adventure at Paris Saint Germain with the Champions League – which the Galician goalkeeper does have – as a pending account. He has a whole career ahead of him to emulate at club level what he has already achieved with his national team.