Donnarumma tells Capello ‘first thing I thought’ before Valverde’s goal | OneFootball

Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma reveals why he pulled his arm back before Federico Valverde’s first goal during last week’s Champions League match against Real Madrid: ‘The first thing I thought was to do as little damage as possible.’

Donnarumma’s Manchester City have been eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 by Real Madrid, suffering a 5-1 aggregate defeat.

Donnarumma’s post-match interview after Man City 1-2 Real Madrid

The Premier League giants lost both ties against the Merengues, first 3-0 in Madrid and then 2-1 in Manchester.

Federico Valverde scored a hat-trick at the Bernabeu last week, with his first goal coming after a dribble past Donnarumma. The goalkeeper rushed off his line but didn’t touch the ball at the edge of the box, likely wary of handling the ball outside the area.

During a post-match interview with Sky Sport Italia on Tuesday, ex-Milan and England coach Capello asked Donnarumma about his decision to move that way.

MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 11: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City celebrates after saving a penalty by Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid (not pictured) during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 11, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

“The first goal you conceded in Madrid. Why didn’t you stretch out your hand? Did you think that you were outside the box?” Capello asked.

“It was so fast that the first thing I thought was to do as little damage as possible and get out of my way as much as I could,” Donnarumma replied.

MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 11: Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid is fouled by Gianluigi Donnarumma of Manchester City which leads to a penalty to Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and Manchester City FC at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 11, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“My goal was to move out of the way and not harm the team. Even watching the replay, I saw that the ball was close to my hand, but at normal speed, everything is much harder. I watched the replay and indeed it passed very close to my hand.”

During the same interview, Donnarumma said Manchester City won’t change their style of play after their Champions League exit and looked forward to “crucial games” with the Premier League giants and the Italy national team.