Italy’s U21 side beat San Marino 7-0 on Thursday evening, and by all accounts they barely got out of first gear. Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto started the match and was subbed off, after a couple of big challenges on the attacker.
Corriere dello Sport gave him a rating of 6.5/10, the same as nearly all his teammates.
However, Gnonto did something during the match which has been picked up in Italy. During the second half, when he was sat on the bench, he was photographed with two teammates.
The pair were watching the rest of the match, but the Leeds United man was on his phone. Corriere dello Sport editor Ivan Zazzaroni says the player was ‘totally distracted by the magic of his iPhone’, and calls it an example of Football 3.0.
Zazzaroni isn’t thrilled, and says that whilst he accepts the match probably wasn’t the most thrilling to watch, being on his phone whilst his teammates play is ‘a long way off’ how things should be.
The editorial is more old man yelling at cloud than a takedown of the Leeds United player, with Gnonto clearly very well liked in Italy.
Having received a few knocks, the 20-year-old may well have been speaking to his club. If that big dollop of benefit of the doubt is misplaced, then, as Zazzaroni advises, Gnonto is probably best leaving his phone in the dressing room next time.
