Gianluigi Donnarumma picks Man City shirt number he was banned from wearing at PSG

Gianluigi Donnarumma will wear his favourite shirt number at Manchester City after being banned from doing so at Paris Saint-Germain. The Italian goalkeeper, 26, joined City in a £27million transfer from the Parisians on deadline day, signing a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium. Donnarumma became Pep Guardiola's seventh summer signing and second goalkeeper signing.

Following his return in July, former academy star James Trafford was handed the No.1 jersey. That means Donnarumma will wear the No. 99 shirt for City - though it works out well for the recent Treble winner as the number is his preferred pick.

He wore 99 as a teenager coming up through the ranks at AC Milan due to it being the year of his birth, with the number becoming something of his trademark as he became one of the standout goalkeepers in Italy.

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But after joining PSG on a free transfer in 2021, Donnarumma was unable to keep his signature digits due to a bizarre Ligue 1 rule. The French top flight traditionally required all players to wear a number between 1 and 30, with 1, 16 and 30 being reserved only for goalkeepers.

Rule #670 of the LFP stated: "Every Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 club must establish the number assignment list on Isyfoot 72 hours before the start of the competition.

"The numbers 1, 16 and 30 are exclusively and necessarily reserved for goalkeepers. Ultimately, the number 40 can be assigned. All teams must have a jersey with number 33 that is not assigned to a player and reserved for breaking replacements. A directory is established early in the season and available to referees and delegates by the LFP."

That meant Donnarumma had to wear the No. 1 jersey for Ligue 1 games, though UEFA's different rules allowed PSG to register him to wear his favoured 99 during Champions League games.

The same rule prevented Mario Balotelli from wearing his favourite No. 45 shirt at both Nice and Marseille, and he wore No. 9 as a result. In his first season in France, the 2021/22 campaign, Donnarumma ended up getting a special reprieve granted so that he could wear the No. 50. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, was allowed to wear a number normally sported by a goalkeeper when he took No. 30.

But that all changed ahead of the 2022/23 season, with the league granting players greater freedom when it came to their choice of shirt number. Since that season, Ligue 1 players have been able to pick any number from two to 99, with the No. 1 still being reserved for goalkeepers.

Given the Premier League's relaxed rules on numbers, Donnarumma will not have such headaches in the UK. City will hope the 2021 Euros winner's preferred jersey will give him confidence in goal ahead of the Manchester Derby after the international break, where he could make his debut for the club.

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