In the final against Inter: Santant against Mbappé: Paris’ New Champions League heroes

The new Champions League hero from Paris Saint-Germain could not help but could not help but help this top against Kylian Mbappé. “The spirit has changed with us. We are now doing much more than one team. We play for each other,” said goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after the semi-final triumph against Arsenal.

In fact this season, PSG made a remarkable development from the largest money burner in European football to the promising Champions League finalist on May 31 in Munich against Inter Milan.

The French series champion and his Qatarian club owners have been in the desired Henkelpott since 2011. But the chance never seemed to be as big as this first year without a world star like Neymar, Lionel Messi or the Mbappé, who switched to Real Madrid in 2024.

Donnarumma is looking forward to duel with Inter

PSG – This was also shown by the 2: 1 (1: 0) victory in the second leg against Arsenal again – now has other heroes. The coach Luis Enrique, who rely on young talents instead of big names. And the outstanding goalkeeper Donnarumma. “I am excited, I will challenge many of my teammates from the national team, it will be exciting,” said Italy’s number one about the final duel with Italy’s master. “It gets hard against Inter, but very nice.”

Donnarumma is only 26 years old. But no matter how the Champions League final will end in a good two weeks: he has already had more behind him than other well-known professionals in her entire career.

At 16 he made his debut in Serie A, at 17 in the national team. Since he was 22, he has been a traitor (“dollar farm”) at least for fans of the Inter-Nachbartn AC Milan because he switched from his youth to a sheikh club for an astronomical content. But he also didn’t feel comfortable in Paris for years.

In their apartment near the Champs Élysées, Donnarumma and his wife were attacked, tied up and robbed in the summer of 2023. The embarrassing dropouts like the Champions League-Aus 2022 against Real Madrid and at the international match in March against Germany had fans and some media in France for a long time: It will not win the Champions League Cup for us.

Rumors to change to Inter

But his parades against Arsenal changed everything. “If you look at who was your best player in the two games, it was her goalkeeper,” said London coach Mikel Areta.

And after months of the Gaunes that Donnarumma could flee from Paris from Paris to the final opponent Inter Milan in summer, said the semi-final hero himself: “It is up to the club. If PSG wants me to stay, then I will stay. We just have to sign the new contract. But it is due to the club.”

For the association, Donnarumma is now the face of a new generation. With top talents like Désiré Doué (19) and João Neves (20). With still sinfully expensive transfers like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

From the team that lost the Champions League final against Bayern Munich with 0-1 in 2020, only one player belongs to the current trunk: the captain Marquinhos. “Disappointments give you experience,” said the Brazilian defender. All the half and early round of round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund (2024), Manchester City (2021) or FC Barcelona (2017) would have “left scars” with him. Now the club has a “new plan”, a new DNA, a new mentality: “The team is ready for what is coming now.”