The Italian goalkeeper of PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma, expressed his deep regret this Monday after having been involved in the play that caused the serious injury of the young German talent Jamal Musiala, during the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup.

“I am very affected by what happened. It was certainly not my intention to hurt Musiala,” Donnarumma said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, after receiving strong criticism on social media for the violent clash.

Musiala suffers a fractured fibula and will undergo surgery

In the action that occurred just before halftime, Donnarumma aggressively came out to contest a divided ball and knocked down Musiala, who suffered a dislocated ankle and a fracture of the fibula in his left leg, according to a Bayern Munich statement.

The young German midfielder, 22, was transferred from Orlando to Munich, where he will undergo surgery in the coming days. His absence represents a major blow for the Bavarian team, especially after having recently returned from a long absence due to injury.

Neuer criticized the move: “It was a risky decision”

The action not only ignited social media, but also generated criticism within Bayern itself. Manuel Neuer, the German goalkeeper and a key figure in the dressing room, described Donnarumma’s departure as “a risky decision,” stressing that it was unnecessarily dangerous in a context with no apparent threat of scoring.

Donnarumma’s agent defends the goalkeeper: “He is a very sensitive boy”

For his part, the Italian goalkeeper’s agent, Vincenzo Raiola, defended his client, stating that the contact was unintentional and the result of a fraction of a second:

“It is unfair to think that he wanted to hurt Musiala. It was a matter of tenths of a second. Donnarumma arrived at the ball first and could no longer avoid the contact,” he explained.

Raiola also addressed the criticism that the goalkeeper walked quickly away from the scene after the collision:

“He didn't want to pretend that nothing had happened. He's a very sensitive guy. He wouldn't have been able to stay there. He preferred to step aside so the medics could attend to Musiala. He even turned on his phone in the locker room, something he never does during a match. He sent me a message to say he was very upset.”