ITALY COACH GIAMPIERO Ventura handed teenaged AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma his debut but began his reign with a 3-1 defeat to France in the southern city of Bari on Thursday.
Ventura replaced Antonio Conte last month and pledged to carry on the good work of the current Chelsea manager following the Azzurri’s impressive march to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
But goals from Manchester United striker Anthony Martial and Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud either side of Graziano Pelle’s 21st minute strike gave France a 2-1 half-time lead.
After Donnarumma replaced Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon for the second period, the 17-year-old made one impressive stop before making his first major error for the national side.
Barely 10 minutes before the final whistle, Donnarumma came off his line at his near post to anticipate a Kurzawa drive across the Italian goalmouth, only for the Paris Saint Germain left-back’s strike to spin into the far corner of the net.
It was France’s first outing since Les Bleus lost the Euro 2016 final on home soil to Portugal.
It was also a historic occasion in terms of football regulations, the Video Assistance Referees (VAR) system being tested out for the first time as part of FIFA’s plans to introduce it worldwide.
Italy, ousted at the quarter-final stage of Euro 2016, begin their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign on Monday away to Israel in Haifa.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
‘I always put the clubs needs first’…. Yeah Jose giviving an over-the-hill Sanchez £500,000 a week instead of being bothered to develop Martial is an example of how you respect your clubs.
@Stanley Baggins: Would that deal be done between the players agent and the club? Doubt the manager says how much he can earn if the club are willing to pay what the agent asks.
@Mike Keane: ah Mike , stop making sense will ya …
@Stanley Baggins: manager had nothing to do with the deal. It was the club that wanted sanchez
@Hardly Normal: Sorry. Won’t happen again.
He’s the biggest attention seeker the game has ever known. The premier league is a better place without him and his Sam Allardyce football
@Stanley Baggins: no,the biggest attention seeker is still at Manchester United.
I wish you were still there also José but it’s time to let it go.
@Virgil Van Rock: Alan, missing Jose?