Ball Boy Admits Stealing Donnarumma's Penalty Notes in Italy Defeat
A Bosnian ball boy has admitted to taking a penalty cheat sheet belonging to Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during a crucial World Cup play-off in 2022. The incident occurred during the penalty shootout between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final.
According to a report by Bosnian TV station Face TV, the ball boy, 14-year-old Afan Cizmic, saw the note, which detailed the penalty-taking habits of the Bosnian players, and removed it from the side of Donnarumma's goal. The goalkeeper had placed the note, written on a small piece of paper, next to his towel and water bottle.
"I saw something by the towel and I knew what it was. I took it and hid it," Cizmic said in the interview, as reported by various outlets. He confirmed the note contained "all the information" on the penalty takers' habits. Donnarumma, who had been studying the note between kicks, was seen searching for it frantically after it went missing.
Italy ultimately lost the shootout 4-2 after a 1-1 draw in Zenica, with Donnarumma failing to make a single save. The defeat meant Italy, the reigning European champion, failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The ball boy, now a minor celebrity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has appeared on national television and plans to auction the note, with proceeds going to charity.
The 14-year-old has the small, folded piece of paper in his possession and has been showing it during media appearances. The note is expected to be auctioned, with Cizmic stating the proceeds will be donated to charity.
While the incident is a curious footnote, the result had significant consequences, with Italy failing to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup. The incident, now brought to light by the ball boy's admission, adds a new layer of what-ifs to one of the most painful results in recent Italian football history.
