Revealed: Pep Guardiola hands Gianluigi Donnarumma important off-field role at Manchester City | OneFootball

Gianluigi Donnarumma was issued with a very clear but important task off the field upon joining Manchester City by his new head coach, Pep Guardiola.

The Italian goalkeeper made the high-profile switch from Paris Saint-Germain to the Etihad Stadium this summer, in a move that captured the attention of football fans across Europe given the global profile of the eccentric shot-stopper.

While much of the discussion has been centred around his on-field role – particularly his ability to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s possession-based demands – it now appears the Catalan tactician has also entrusted Donnarumma with responsibilities beyond the pitch.

Since his teenage breakthrough at AC Milan, Donnarumma has been heralded as a generational goalkeeper, not only for his shot-stopping qualities but also for his maturity. At just 26, he has already played over a decade at the highest level, collecting trophies in Italy and France, while also helping Italy lift the European Championship.

Now at Manchester City, his arrival has coincided with a transition period in Pep Guardiola’s squad, with a need for fresh voices in the dressing room. Leadership within City’s ranks has often been spread across senior figures, but Guardiola has long valued players who can inject energy and cohesion into the squad’s off-field environment.

Speaking during a new conversation with Radio CRC, as relayed by TuttoMercatoWeb, the agent of Gianluigi Donnarumma has revealed the off-field demands made to the Italian shot-stopper by manager Pep Guardiola.

“[Pep] Guardiola was delighted to welcome [Gianluigi] Donnarumma to the team,” Raiola insisted.

He continued by revealing, “Beyond the technical issues surrounding how the manager wants to use Gianluigi on the pitch, he asked him to give the team a boost because Manchester [City] needs someone who can liven things up.

“Donnarumma is a leader, sometimes a bit quiet, but in important moments he always makes himself heard. Everything he does, he always does of his own free will.”

Enzo Raiola added, “For example, before the Champions League final between PSG and Inter, he wrote a letter to all the Parisian players, written in all the players’ languages, and he gave it to everyone, as [Ousmane] Dembele said.”

The revelation underlines how Guardiola views Donnarumma not just as a world-class goalkeeper, but also as a personality capable of influencing the atmosphere at Manchester City during a demanding season.

With the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups all in play across the course of the now-ongoing campaign, those off-field qualities could prove just as vital as his shot-stopping ability on matchdays.

Looking ahead, if he establishes himself as both a consistent performer and a vocal presence, the Italian could quickly become one of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted dressing room leaders – a role perhaps many did not expect when his signing was announced.