Italy Squad Announced
Sampdoria enigma Antonio Cassano was the surprise inclusion in Roberto Donadoni’s provisional Italy squad for Euro 2008, and he joins Alessandro Del Piero in the 24-man party. However there is no place for Milan duo Massimo Oddo and Pippo Inzaghi.
Oddo and Inzaghi clearly pay the price for A.C Milan lack luster year. Inzaghi and Del Piero aren’t exactly the best of friends either so it was always going to be one or the other. Including Cassano is a gutsy call for Donadoni. One would think that if he selected Cassano he would also have to start Cassano since he isn’t the type of player that adjusts well coming off the bench.
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Livorno), Morgan De Sanctis (Sevilla)
Defenders: Cristian Panucci (Roma), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Marco Materazzi (Inter), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
Midfielders: Rino Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Massimo Ambrosini (Milan), Daniele De Rossi, Simone Perrotta, Alberto Aquilani (Roma), Mauro German Camoranesi (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina)
Forwards: Luca Toni (Bayern Munich), Marco Borriello (Genoa), Antonio Di Natale, Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria)