Carnesecchi insists he's 'not disappointed' as Donnarumma's Italy understudy

Atalanta stopper embraces understudy role with the Azzurri

Marco Carnesecchi has emerged as one of Serie A's most reliable goalkeepers over recent campaigns, yet the Atalanta shot-stopper is perfectly content to occupy the bench for the Italian national team as long as Gianluigi Donnarumma remains first choice.

Carnesecchi was called up by Roberto Mancini during the last international break but did not feature, with Donnarumma starting all four of Italy's Nations League fixtures. After a 2-0 opening defeat to Belgium, the Azzurri beat Turkiye 4-1 and 3-1, either side of a draw against France.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Atalanta coach Maurizio Sarri ahead of a Conference League tie against Paphos, the 26-year-old was unequivocal about his supporting role.

"For us, Donnarumma is an added value for Italy. With him, we always start at 0-0," Carnesecchi said via TMW. "I'm not disappointed about not playing because, right now, the good of the Italian national team comes before individuals. Italy need to rebuild on solid foundations. We're happy to have him, and I'm pleased with what he's doing."

His commitment to the collective is backed by a strong personal body of work. Since the start of the 2024-25 Serie A season, only Mile Svilar (37) and Yann Sommer (28) have kept more clean sheets in the competition than Carnesecchi (27). Among goalkeepers to have faced 500 or more shots in Serie A in the same period, Carnesecchi ranks second for saves (241) and save percentage (75.5%).

Despite those numbers, Carnesecchi is hungry to improve and aspires to reach the very top of the profession. Asked which areas of his game still need work, he pointed to his aerial command.

"One thing that drives me mad is dealing with high balls. I need to do more of it. I want to be dominant in the air too. It's true that I improved a lot last year, but I want to do more because it will pay off, with the hard work I'm putting in," he said.

"I aspire to become one of the best, and that pushes me to keep improving. I've improved a lot with my feet and in goal, but I want to become even more dominant."

Italy are set to face France at home and Belgium away in the Nations League during the November international break, with Carnesecchi expected to again provide cover for Donnarumma.