Gianluigi Donnarumma penalty notes incident adds drama to Italy vs Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup qualifying playoff

Italy vs Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup qualifying playoff produced one of the most unusual moments of the international football season when Gianluigi Donnarumma lost access to his penalty reference notes during the decisive shootout.

The dramatic playoff ended with Italy missing qualification for a third consecutive World Cup after defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina in penalties.

During the shootout, television cameras captured growing tension between Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma and Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj after Italy’s tactical sheet disappeared from beside the goal.

The note sheet reportedly contained detailed penalty information, including preferred shooting foot, likely direction, and player habits for Bosnian kick takers.

A 14 year old ball boy identified as Afan Cizmi later explained on Bosnian television that he noticed the paper near Donnarumma’s towel and removed it to deny Italy an advantage.

According to his explanation, the paper showed which players normally aimed left, right, or waited for goalkeeper movement before striking.

The incident increased tension immediately, with Donnarumma reacting angrily and grabbing a similar sheet belonging to Vasilj before tearing it.

That moment triggered a brief confrontation between both goalkeepers before coaching staff intervened to calm the situation.

On the field, Bosnia remained composed and converted all penalty attempts, while Italy failed twice from the spot.

The defeat means the four time world champions again miss football’s biggest tournament, extending a painful qualification crisis for Italian football.

For Bosnia, the result represents one of the country’s most memorable football achievements, secured in front of emotional home support and marked by an unusual piece of penalty shootout drama.

Courtesy: sportsnet