MUCH AS expected, Italian coach Marcello Lippi has resisted popular pressure to call up enigmatic talent Antonio Cassano for Italy’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro in Podgorica on Saturday and against Ireland in Bari on April 1st.
With Bayern Munich’s Luca Toni, Fiorentina’s Alberto Gilardino and Juventus winger Mauro Camoranesi all ruled out through injury, it seemed there might be space for Sampdoria and ex-Real Madrid striker Cassano, who has been in outstanding form in Serie A this season.
However, Lippi would appear to have serious reservations about a player who in the past has been involved in spectacular rows with his clubs, firstly with AS Roma and then with Real Madrid.
Not even the temptation to play the “local hero” card seems to have moved Lippi. Cassano is Bari-born and bred and is very much an idol in the Puglia city.
When current Serie B leaders AS Bari came out for the second half of their game against Citadella last Saturday, they were met with chants of “Cassano For Italy” from the Bari fans who would dearly like to have seen their hero, a former AS Bari player, line out against Ireland.
In the end, the Italy squad is very much as expected with Lippi springing no real surprises by calling up three uncapped players in Marco Motta (AS Roma), Salvatore Bochetti (Genoa) and Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), as well as recalling two players Matteo Brighi (AS Roma) and Pasquale Foggia (Lazio) who have respectively one and two caps.
All five players had been widely tipped for a call-up given their current excellent form in Serie A.
Given that Italy, like Ireland, play two games in five days, it is possible that some of the five “newcomers” will get an outing in one of the two games. Motta at right back, Brighi in central midfield and Pazzini in attack would seem to have the best chances of playing, even if not necessarily from the start of Saturday’s game against Montenegro.
For the away game in Podgorica, Lippi is almost certain to rely on a tried and true line-out.
Gigi Buffon (Juventus) in goal, Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan) and Fabio Grosso (Lyon) in the full back berths and captain Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid) and Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) in central defence seem sure to start against Montenegro.
In midfield Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma) and Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan) will, as per usual, provide the playmaking inspiration with the Udinese pair of Simone Pepe and Antonio Di Natale wide on the right and left respectively.
In the injury enforced absence of both Toni and Gilardino, Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta and Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi may lead the Italy attack with Pazzini perhaps coming on as a second-half substitute.
Likewise, injuries to both Simone Perrotta and Gennaro Gattuso mean that Brighi may well be asked to come off the bench, stepping into a defensive midfield role in place of either Di Natale or Pepe.
ITALIAN SQUAD:
GOALKEEPERS:Gigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
DEFENDERS: Salvatore Bochetti (Genoa), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorghio Chellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alesandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Marco Motta (AS Roma), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).
MIDFIELDERS: Matteo Brighi (AS Roma), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Pasquale Foggia (Lazio), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan).
S TRIKERS: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal).
