For the third consecutive edition, after 2018 and 2022, the 2026 World Cup will be played this summer without Italy. After having suffered the law of Sweden and North Macedonia, it was Bosnia-Herzegovina which in the play-off this time deprived the Azzurri of their reunion with the World Cup. One of those responsible for this fiasco is just 14 years old and can now claim to be a national hero.
His name is Afan Cizmic and he is studying as an apprentice footballer at NK Celik. And he is now the most famous teenager in Bosnia! Why this sudden notoriety? Because the person concerned was among the ball collectors last Tuesday during the play-off final between his country and Italy, and this role allowed him to play a very nasty trick on the transalpine selection.
While the penalty shootout was to decide between the two nations, the kid stole from Gianluigi Donnarumma his cheat sheet determining the preferences of each of the potential Bosnian penalty takers. This benefited from an altercation between the former PSG goalkeeper and his counterpart Nikola Vasilj. “
Donnarumma tried to tear up the sheet on which I had written information about the Italian penalty takersthe latter will recount afterwards. Fortunately, we had prepared for all eventualities and had planned a photocopy. »
A cheat sheet soon to be auctioned
Gianluigi Donnarumma had no plan B. And the clever Afan Cizmic took advantage of it. “ I saw the piece of paper and immediately knew what it was. I caught it and hid ithe proudly recounts, requested by the Bosnian channel Face TV. On it, there was all the information about our players. Without this paper, Donnarumma could only trust her instincts. He was disappointed and very angry. He took his napkin and noticed that the paper was missing… »
The young ball boy is still in possession of the precious reminder. A now historic document for Bosnia that he plans to auction soon for the benefit of a charity.
