Gianluigi Donnarumma’s attempt to apologize to the upset Italian fans following their Euro 2024 exit did not have the desired effect. The Azzurri, who entered the tournament as defending champions, suffered a comprehensive defeat to Switzerland in the last 16. Italy only managed to win one of their four games, against Albania, and when Donnarumma approached the disgruntled fans at the Olympiastadion, they were not receptive to his gestures of consolation. Despite his efforts, he was seen leaving the scene looking visibly uncomfortable, as emotions were still running high in the German capital.

“We can only apologize to everyone. It really hurts. In the first half we lost the ball too easily, we left them too many spaces, we weren’t pressing properly. It was tough, it is a very difficult game to swallow, but this is how it went and we have to accept that,” Donnarumma said.

Switzerland scored a goal in each half to gain the upper hand in their last 16 clash with Italy, rendering Italy’s late surge futile. The Italian team had previously needed a late goal against Croatia to secure their advancement from the group stages. Italy became the third consecutive defending European champion to be eliminated in the last 16, following Spain in 2016 and Portugal at Euro 2020. Italian coach, Luciano Spalletti, acknowledged that the early goal in the second half had a negative impact on his team’s confidence.

He attributed the loss to their lack of decisiveness and tempo in the game, emphasizing the importance of sharpness and tempo in determining the outcome of matches. The text includes a mention of special offers, promotions, and adverts, and suggests the option to leave the community.