Monday Morning Coffee: Donnarumma and Pep's 'Brainwashing'

27/10/2025 14:40:00 esportapi

In 2008, after taking over as Barca’s head coach, Pep summoned the first player for a private discussion, and that was… Victor Valdes.

1. He placed two dots at the edges of the penalty box and told the Spanish goalkeeper: These are our two center-backs. When you have the ball, you develop play with them, and the scene begins.

Valdes was astonished. No one had ever been asked to do this before. Naturally, during practice on the pitch, he faced many difficulties, even leading to some conceded goals. But Pep never got upset with Valdes as long as he followed instructions: Try to cooperate with the two center-backs, which is the key to Barca’s positional play style. Everything starts from a goalkeeper who can play with his feet and coordinate.

Pep is a follower of such tactical principles. He once substituted star Thierry Henry after seeing him move incorrectly as instructed. He also pulled off rookie center-back Dmytro Chyhrynskyi just minutes after the player launched a poor long ball upward, despite the team’s principle of short build-up.

But things seem to be shifting with Donnarumma.

2. At the 37th minute of Manchester City’s victory over Villarreal earlier this week, Gianluigi Donnarumma was pressured by Georges Mikautadze. With incredible composure, the Italian goalkeeper skillfully used his left foot to safely pass the ball to center-back John Stones.

That moment reminded many of Ederson, but it is certainly not Donnarumma’s standout skill, a keeper who has made a conservative coach like Pep Guardiola change his system.

Pep Guardiola (left) is providing the best support for Donnarumma (right)

Since Donnarumma arrived at Etihad, Pep has significantly adjusted City’s style: 42% of goalkeeper passes this season are long balls, a significant rise from 30.5% last season, indicating City is adapting to Donnarumma’s habits, who is less skilled with his feet than Ederson.

Sometimes the Italian keeper still appears flustered and hurried, like the pass to Josko Gvardiol in the Brentford win: Man City’s center-back had to struggle to control the ball and immediately faced pressure. However, Donnarumma has not yet made a serious mistake leading to a goal.

Guardiola seems ready to trade ball possession for safety, and Donnarumma delivers that: He has kept five clean sheets in eight games. The former PSG keeper is simply a masterful shot-stopper.

It’s still early to analyze his save stats at City due to limited data, but his brilliant save in the Manchester derby debut, denying Bryan Mbeumo’s precise shot to stop United from equalizing, was already a memorable highlight in his career.

Donnarumma debuted at 16 for Milan in 2015 before transferring to PSG in 2021, becoming one of the world’s best shot-stoppers. Adding him shows Man City prioritized this exceptional skill rather than trying to use the keeper as a fifth defender. Donnarumma’s shot-stopping helped City stay composed in a narrow win over Brentford and confidently play deep against Arsenal when leading (though they still conceded late).

Donnarumma’s arrival also shows Pep has shifted to a new mindset in football: He no longer overvalues the system but respects individual talent more.

3. Previously, Pep’s style was easy to describe: A goalkeeper skilled with his feet; center-backs with abilities comparable to central midfielders; midfielders excellent at ball retention and positional awareness; versatile wingers who can drop deep; and false strikers not just focused on scoring.

With Donnarumma and key players trusted over the past two seasons, Pep seems to have evolved: He can accept a long ball to Jeremy Doku to unleash speed and 1-on-1 wing duels, push Erling Haaland high up and only require him to play a classic number 9 role, or accept that Donnarumma doesn’t need Ederson’s foot skills but must keep Man City’s goal as secure as possible.

After years of chasing system perfection and enduring breakdowns and undue pressure, Pep is tackling his greatest challenge differently: More simply and with greater faith in people.

Because ultimately, he cannot play for anyone on the field. Pep must believe that football’s core remains the human element, with all its spontaneity.

Pham An

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