Leeds United ace Gnonto slammed by Italian media after what he did at U21 Euros
Willy Gnonto is a key player for Leeds United, but the forward is clearly struggling to make the same impact for Italy Under-21s.
Gnonto was called up to the Italy U21s squad for the European Championships this summer, and started in their first game as they scraped past Romania in a 1-0 victory on Wednesday (11 June).
The Leeds star was in and out of the starting XI this past season, but played an important part as his side won the Championship, and will now hope to make an impact in the Premier League.
However, he will have to improve following his first showing of this tournament, as he has now been criticised in Italy for his display.
Gnonto criticised after Italy win
Gnonto started as a central striker for Italy, but lasted just 63 minutes before he was replaced by Cesare Casadei, having failed to impress in a different role to the one he plays under Daniel Farke.
The 21-year-old failed to register a single shot or create a chance, and completed just 11 passes in an anonymous display.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances (starts) | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 43 (26) | 9 | 6 |
Sport Virgilio gave Gnonto a rating of 5.5/10, and described the attacker as “timid in one-on-one attempts”.
TuttoMercatoWeb also gave the same rating, and labelled the Leeds star as the “most disappointing” of Italy’s attackers, and slammed his decision making in the game.
Mondo Primavera even claimed that Italy’s victory cannot be allowed to mask Gnonto’s performance, and stated that “more is expected” from such a high-profile player in the team.
Gnonto has point to prove at Under-21 Euros
Gnonto will be fighting hard for a starting spot at Leeds next season, having come off the bench in 17 of his 43 Championship appearances in this campaign.
A strong showing at the Under-21 Euros would give him a huge boost in this regard, and would also be a statement ahead of his return to the Premier League.
If Gnonto’s poor performance is a sign of things to come for the rest of the tournament, there may be some concern at Leeds that if he struggles against under-21 opponents, he will likely continue to do so against some of the best defenders in the world next season.