Donnarumma’s clueless protestations gift Germany a goal

The player wearing the captain’s armband sets the example for their teammates. They get the team motivated, they keep the side focused, they reel in the remonstrations with referees that can get players booked.

That’s what they’re supposed to do, anyway.

In Italy’s case, in this instance, not so much. At least not on Sunday with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma captaining the Azzurri.

In the 36th minute of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal against Germany, with Italy already trailing 1-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate, the Paris Saint-Germain No. 1 tipped a glancing Tim Kleindienst header over the bar for a corner kick and immediately marched toward the referee in protest of an incident in the buildup.

While he was protesting, Donnarumma didn’t realize that he was the last man back, meaning that all corner taker Joshua Kimmich (who scored the opener from the penalty spot) had to do was play the ball backward and whoever was the recipient in the 6-yard box would be onside. Bayern Munich teammate Jamal Musiala was equally alert to the opportunity, and Kimmich’s quickly taken dead ball found the Germany No. 10 6 yards from goal, with Musiala smartly deflecting the corner into a wide-open net.