Monikers are fascinating, possibly stemming from a joyous buzz of nostalgia or a witty reminder of a gaffe but for the most part, in good spirits.
Gianluigi Donnarumma has a telling one himself – ‘Dollar-umma’, quite felicitous. The prodigious goalkeeper seemingly never fails to wrench hearts and heads of the supporters of the Rossoneri. A meteoric rise in eminence at just 16 years of age came along with a healthy dose of leverage. A cauldron of greed perched upon a cold shoulder has been simmering since a deal worth 6 million Euros a year was signed in 2017, not to mention the signing of his brother Antonio as a third-choice keeper. A cordial display of admiration and trust from the club after a protracted saga was seen as anything but. Talks of annulment of the contract due to “psychological pressure” to sign blunted the shine of Milan’s ruby. Banners were unfurled saying, ‘Psychological violence by giving you €6million-a-season & signing your parasite brother? It’s time to leave… our patience with you is over!’. The 18-year-old was reduced to tears during warmup while Leonardo Bonucci offered comfort in an otherwise unforgiving environment.
The banner served as a ruthless backdrop, accompanied by jeers at every touch by the youngster who had established his stronghold over the starting spot between the sticks. Donnarumma denied the claims and the cauldron was taken off the boil momentarily. A fleeting reprieve from the fake money tossing and death threats, need I remind you, towards an 18-year-old goalkeeper.
The past few weeks have exacerbated the ire as contract negotiations came with a direct caveat – Champions League football, which makes the rumours of a move to Juventus rather odd. Tradition may speak in favour of the puissant, yet the work of one Stefano Pioli has exalted the Rossoneri, back to rubbing shoulders with the elite, clearly an ascending side. Yet, Donnarumma’s laissez faire demeanour stirred the dormant enmity. A guffaw with Pepe Reina after a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Lazio only fuelled the disdain for an ever-present eye at the door from the goalkeeper.
Seemingly had enough, a delegation of organised fan groups visited the Milanello to speak with the player. Donnarumma was berated and told to never grace the field as a Milan player if his mind wandered to supposed greener pastures. The meeting ended with familiar tears at the hands of merciless fans who viewed the ambivalent proceedings as the final gesture of irreverence to their club. There lies the problem, not in the interpretation, per se, but the logistical flaw in the scapegoat.
Monikers are fascinating, perhaps because its essence lies in perception more than nostalgia.
The Curva Sud hoisting Donnarumma as an object of derision is a commentary on a pertinent thread weaving through the sport of football. The battle between passion and a business. The European Super League cleared the proverbial table as the leagues and sackings went crashing down in importance while an audacious attempt at ruining the basis of the sport took precedence. What stood tall was a collective voice of millions who spoke against the founding members and the utter disregard for the concept of sport, eventually forcing a nixing. The Curva Sud did not hold back with regards to the plan, “Honestly, it makes us laugh to see all those people in the control room of football suddenly claim we fans are first and foremost. The Super League is just the latest in a long line of innumerable manoeuvres over decades that has made football into a business.” (Via FI)
The honour for the blue-collar heritage of the club surges through the fans as they find it to be their duty to speak against the inevitable capitalist cataclysm. They see Gianluigi Donnarumma as a representation of modern football as they stand steadfast against the defiance of culture.
Totally unrelated, Mino Raiola is Donnarumma’s agent.
Mino’s world is a touch greyer than Earth realm. Gone are the vapid ramblings of righteousness while the seductive ways of acquisitiveness soothe the winds. Currency is irrelevant, it’s more of a language. The former home of Al Capone which Raiola snuggly resides in acts as the Headquarters.
The initial turmoil in 2017 gave rise to the following words from the Dutch-Italian, “I take the responsibility. They forced us. It was Milan that lost Donnarumma. He said to me, ‘honestly, Mino, I don’t feel it is right to carry on negotiations when these people are insulting and threatening me and my family.’ For example, there was a banner in front of the club headquarters. A club should protect its players and remove the banner. A club should support a player and encourage his career, not threaten him with having to be left in the stands.”
Credit where it’s due, a Raiola bond is sacred, clients are family. A masterful orchestrator of business, Raiola looks after his clients at an all too obvious expense. From Sir Alex Ferguson calling him a ‘shit bag’ to Johann Cruyff being told to ‘be in a mental asylum with Guardiola’, the trail-blazing superagent has burnt his share of bridges with Milan being just a girder.
“In the end, it was the agent who prevailed,” the words of GM Marco Fassone in 2017 for Gazzetta Dello Sport speak of the same, “I’m convinced that, in his heart, Gigio is not convinced by this decision. It’s certainly [Raiola’s] decision. He used his influence, and he is very influential over Gigio. Just think for a second: a lad of 18 years and a big agent with a huge personality. How could it end?”
Donnarumma was a beacon of hope amongst the shadow Milan had assumed as its identity over the years and just as a resurgence takes shape, the rumours persist. It begs the question if the club’s position was ever relevant. The history of Raiola suggests otherwise.
In the midst of a hailstorm between agent and club, Donnarumma has taken flak despite making his intentions clear. According to La Stampa, he has reportedly told his agent, “I’m staying at Milan, take care of the formalities”. Perception is key, and perhaps a battle between passion and business never involved the former. Perhaps there is no room for integrity in a sport that for years has been run with vested interests and monetary primacy at the forefront.
Contract talks have been frozen by Milan to aid a smooth landing to a neck-and-neck season. Their placement will have an effect on the decision, not as much as the wage discussion. Raiola will steer the ship of a lambasted prodigy as the authority look down scornfully.
A fan’s perception is invigorating. It has an irreplicable element of heart and relatability. The Super League lasted a mere two days before the fans seemingly towered over the affluent. Protests as recent as yesterday at Old Trafford against the Glazers only speak of the impetus gained through the fiasco. The fans won. However, it undeniably reeks of a victory in a bubble as the Overlords look on with a chuckle. A mirage of change is a mere concession by the powers. The fans will acquiesce. They always have.
Monikers are fascinating, perhaps the foggiest of them all – ‘the beautiful game’.
