When Mauricio Pochettino coached Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentinian was often criticized for not having decided from the start between Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma, two goalkeepers with the profile of “number one” that Leonardo stuck to him in the paws well in spite of himself. And when he did, it was at the worst time. Established in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Real Madrid, Donnarumma was branded by his catastrophic performance in the return match in Madrid. Nothing to change the situation. Quite the contrary.
The months passed, Christophe Galtier succeeded Pochettino and the new strong man of PSG immediately put his cards on the table by confirming the Italian in the rank of number 1. “Regarding the hierarchy, it is like that currently. I’m happy with Gigio’s performance, I know Keylor is working hard, he’s really competitive and ready to be available for the team if there’s a need, but I’m happy with what Gigio is doing, what he brings and his presence. There will be no turnover in this position, I have never been in favor of it.he said last September.
Galtier was clear from the start…
A hard decision to hear for Navas, but which had the merit of being clear from the start of the Galtier era. Courted by Napoli last summer, but ultimately stayed in Paris because he failed to get paid for his remaining years of contract with the Rouge et Bleu, the Costa Rican did not want to give PSG gifts . Consequence: he still receives his comfortable salary (7 M€ annually), but he must now take his troubles patiently. A difficult position to hold in the long term, even for a certain Gianluigi Buffon. “He must be in pain. I am really sorry to see him systematically on the bench”, explained the emblematic Italian goalkeeper last November. The same month, while he was preparing to play the 2022 World Cup with Costa Rica, Navas ended up publicly expressing his bitterness vis-à-vis Galtier’s choices in the columns ofEl País.
” “I haven’t played, but I feel good, I feel calm. But I’m not going to hide the reality: it’s always better to play, even if it all depends on how everyone concentrates to compete in a World Cup. I trained very well. If I don’t play in my team (PSG, editor’s note), it’s not because of a lack of physical condition, a drop in level, it’s because someone doesn’t want me play and that’s it ». Meanwhile, Donnarumma gave food for thought by displaying a face that was far from resplendent. The Transalpine has certainly released some big matches (against Brest or Benfica), but it remains perfectible and its aerial game still gives cold sweats to his people. This was the case at the Parc against Juventus or even more recently during the reception of Strasbourg. And yesterday, against Lens, his performance did not work in his favor.
… but Donnarumma is not imperial
Involved in the opening of the northern score, uninspired on the second goal from Lens, Donnarumma also almost cost his team a third goal with a hazardous kicking game. In short, so many elements that must reinforce the frustration of a Navas dragging his spleen on social networks. Two days before the PSG-Strasbourg match, the goalkeeper commented on a training video posted by PSG on his Instagram account. A video in which we see the Ile-de-France players leaving the locker room. “I thought I was wrong and watched the video like five times to see if I was showing up and then realized I wasn’t. » On the same day, his wife also posted a photo of her and her husband to quell rumors that the former Merengue had gained weight over the holidays.
Finally, the player did not fail to recall his situation when sending his wishes for the transition to the new year. “Today ends a difficult year, but one that has also given us unforgettable moments both personally and professionally. We will start 2023 with a lot of hope and looking for new challenges!! God bless you and have a happy new year everyone!! God-Family-Football» Linked to PSG until 2024, will the 36-year-old goalkeeper eventually come out of his gloom? In Paris, it’s hard to imagine Galtier dislodging Donnarumma from his cage, unless there is a disaster. It is also difficult to think that PSG will seek to part with it this winter, in the heart of the season, when the knockout stages of the Champions League against Bayern Munich looms on the horizon. Unless the situation changes, Keylor Navas seems condemned to serve his sentence until the summer of 2023.
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