AC Milan fans have 'made it rain' with fake bank notes over PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in protest at him leaving the club to sign a more lucrative deal with Luis Enrique's side.
Mail Sport revealed earlier in the day that a group of AC Milan fans were preparing to give PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma a hostile reception when the goalkeeper returned to the San Siro on Tuesday.
The Italian, who came through Milan's youth academy to feature over 250 times for the red and black, was widely regarded as the best young goalkeeper in world football prior to his controversial free transfer to Paris.
Donnarumma refused to sign a new deal worth £130,000 per week with Milan in a bid to run down his contract — and instead penned a more lucrative deal with Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, effectively leaving his boyhood club with nothing.
Therefore, the Milan fans decided to get their own back when Donnarumma returned to the club on Tuesday evening by throwing fake dollar bills at the goalkeeper during the game.
Donnarumma refused to take notice, while his PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe found the funny side of the prank. He was seen standing on the half-way line laughing as the fans threw the fake currency at the goalkeeper.
The fans are also said to be wearing the No 71 shirt to highlight his betrayal by drawing reference to the Neapolitan system of interpreting dreams into winning lottery numbers — called Smorfia Napoletana — with 71 meaning 'man without values'.
Speaking ahead of the game, Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi tried to remind Milan fans of the years of service Donnarumma gave the club.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: 'Gigi is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's still so young and such a great professional, he's also a fantastic person.
'What he contributed to AC Milan over 215 appearances was amazing - and I have huge respect for both AC Milan and Gigio.'
Donnarumma's exceptional form at the start of his Milan career led to the goalkeeper becoming the youngest Italian to play for the U21 side, at the age of 17 years and 28 days in March 2016.
He went on to chalk up 251 appearances for the Serie A giants, winning the Italian Super Cup with the club in 2016-17.
His decision not to sign a new deal with Milan in 2021 sparked a frenzy in the transfer market, as Manchester United, Chelsea and Juventus fought PSG for his signature.
After agreeing his move to the Parc de Princes, Donnarumma helped Roberto Mancini's Italy win the European Championships, triumphing over England in the final after a dramatic penalty shootout at Wembley.
The goalkeeper swiftly added to his portfolio of honours in Paris, winning successive Ligue 1 titles in 2022 and 2023.
ishti
576
Stewards stopping Laporta from invading the pitch to collect those notes.
JerryAbidjan
518
They did not only make rain with fake notes They gave him 2 goals as a take away That's the most painful part of it 😂😂😂
DeependraGehlot
383
the most greedy one (Mbappe) is on the pitch collect those notes.
Pkkgags
380
AC Milan fans to Donnarumma and PSG 😅
ElChosen
341
The club sold his elder brother because of him and released another goal keeper that could have been our first choice only for him to refuse to renew his contract and left the club for free. If he'd allow the club make some money off his exit (who could have been the most expensive GK), the fans won't be haunting him... One thing about Milan fans is; we don't see football as a game but our life and we don't take betrayals likely.
silvanian
271
mbappe smiling at those notes 😏
Dramz13
136
Those notes can work in Uganda
ishti
8
Laportas pockets aren’t filled with Saudi, Emirate or Qatar money like premier ligue
Qatar Airways literally was your shirt sponsor.