Donnarumma: ‘It’s an honor to wear this jersey! Now, we must go to Germany and defend our title.’

The Azzurri captain: ‘We are back in a big competition, thanks to the fans.’

After the disappointment of the lost qualification to the World Cup, the moment of joy has arrived for the Italy team and, more generally, for an entire nation that has suffered from the absence in the most important competitions.

The draw against Ukraine tells the story of a journey that could not have been more challenging and, for this reason, even more beautiful. ‘We are extremely happy,’ said captain Donnarumma after the match, ‘despite all the difficulties we have had, we have returned to a big tournament.

‘We made everyone suffer today, but we suffered too. I made some good saves and I am happy with my performance.’ He said to Sky Sport after the game. ‘Now we have to go in Germany and defend our title.

To wear this jersey is an honour and we must go out there and honour it every time. We know what our country represents and we always try to give our best for our nation and fans.

When asked what Spalletti said to him at the end of the game, Gigio said: ‘He came to the dressing room and congratulated us all. And we as a team thank him for the work he has done so far. We need to continue like this and continue to grow and listening to him we can go in Germany and battle anyone.