Italy`s national team captain and Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has extended his support to a young goalkeeper who was violently attacked by an adult following a youth football match in Italy last weekend.
“We stand with Thomas. Our thoughts are with him, and I`m sending him a big hug. We look forward to welcoming him to Coverciano soon,” Donnarumma stated during a press conference on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in Collegno, near Turin, during an Under-14 tournament. A 40-year-old man, reportedly the father of a player, entered the field after the match and physically assaulted the 13-year-old goalkeeper, resulting in injuries including a fractured malleolus and facial contusion.
This message of solidarity follows a similar statement from Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian national team`s delegation chief, who expressed shock at the event and called for a deeper reflection on the increasing incidents of violence in football.
Buffon urged the young goalkeeper to respond to violence with forgiveness, stating, “Only through such a countercultural choice can we hope to eradicate this brutality and create a better environment in football and society.”
The football community has rallied around the young victim, condemning the act of violence and emphasizing the need for sportsmanship and respect in youth sports.