Gianluca Pagliuca shares his thoughts on today's goalkeepers. The former shotstopper of the National team granted an interview to Tuttosport:
"The best in the world is Emiliano Martinez; he's strong in every aspect and doesn't have weaknesses. He commands the defence well, has great personality, and doesn't succumb to pressure as shown in the World Cup. Besides, he's explosive between the posts, making it very difficult to score against him."
What about in Serie A?
"In Serie A, I choose (Michele) Di Gregorio. He receives less attention compared to many others, but he's having an amazing season. Michele is a very serious guy and has been performing excellently for some years. Monza did well to believe in him when no one else did. He can follow a similar path to Vicario. I know Falcone from Lecce well. When he played for Cosenza, I recommended him to Bologna, but Sampdoria aimed high, and nothing could be done. I had noticed him at unsuspecting times; now he has grown a lot, becoming one of the best in terms of performance. He and Di Gregorio are ready for a big move. Rui Patricio doesn't excite me. He never makes a great save, just does what's expected. Roma could find someone better."
On Mike Maignan and the comparison with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Pagliuca said:
"AC Milan's Frenchman is strong, but in the recent games, he made a few mistakes. Between him and Donnarumma, the critics use different measures... When Maignan makes a mistake, it goes unnoticed; whereas with Gigio, I notice a predisposed criticism. Every mistake by Donnarumma is always highlighted and there's a tendency to bash him. It's a shame that when he's crucially positive like in Dortmund, where he made 4 decisive saves for the Champions League advancement, it's not talked about. For me, Gigio remains the strongest Italian goalkeeper, an asset to our football that should receive more support and protection."
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