That one. Oh well. The guy's a bad miss, he's not the best player that walks the planet, but still quality. Like William said, that will open up space for Cassano and friends. Cassano at least, if he keeps this performance level up.

Cassano's place was safe either way. Rossi wasn't taken to the last WC by Lippi so this should have been his first major tournament. Bad luck.

Agreed. A few of my American fans still label him as traitor for shunning the US national team in favor of the Italian NT. I do know for a fact that this would have been a hard decision for G Rossi to make at that time. And like you said more bad luck for the guy to have to sit this one out too. Who knows, he still may get in. Slim chance.

correct me if i'm wrong but he moved to italy at a young age...

Yes, but for someone born in the US, the American fans believed they had a chance. I mean, there sure aren't many players of his calibre in the US NT. The general fans have forgetten about the man now that he chose his path. I do wonder what his fame would have been if he chose to go with the US national team, as opposed to Italy.

I mean, yeah, with Italy he may have a chance at more prestige, but in the United States he'd probably be a god.

Having said that, he's still young though, and even if he misses the Euros at 25, there's the World Cup at 28, then another strike at Euros when he'll be 30, and maybe a final World Cup at 32. As more and more senior players are phased out in the Italian NT, guys like him will take charge. So bad luck? Yeah. End of the world. No.

I really do hope for a much more entertaining Euros this time around. More matches, more fun, please.

Aside from a few loan spells, he only lived in Italy for 4 years. He was born and spent the first 12 years of his life in the US.

So with no Rossi, who do Italy take as their forwards? Cassano, Balotelli, Pazzini +1?

Matri and Osvaldo should be fighting for the 4th spot + there's always Gilardino and Giovinco.

I disagree. Giuseppe Rossi is a huge loss for Azzurri. He impressed a lot for his national team, along Cassano. It would have been a nice partnership. Cassano and Balotelli now I'd say, also nice.

I agree,but I think a target man + a second striker is a much better combination.IMO if he didn't get injured,he should have started with either Balotelli or Pazzini.But,now that's what Cassano will be doing.

Kaka called up to the Selecao again after 15 month of absence. Totally deserved, he has been playing good lately.

Yeah,injuries were a big factor for not calling him mostly.He'll be very useful for this current lackluster Brazil midfield.

Just take Balotelli, the Euro's will be a boring place without him

Prandelli has finally decided to call up Abate for the Poland and Uruguay friendlies.

Amen. We need that guy there!


About time. About fudging time! Go get 'em Abbott!

so italy lose cassano and rossi not the best of luck for prandelli

Think it's a pretty fair squad based on form, other than Rooney of course but I imagine he wants to use friendlies as preperation for the group stage where we won't have him.

Past Hart our GKs really are poor.

Had no idea Scott Carson played over there, that's the last time they ever buy an English guy.

As much as Abate has grown into quite the RB, i can't see him starting above Maggio in a full strength squad. Maggio is simply a much more complete player in every single way except pace IMO. This from someone who thinks Abate has played a major part in our success.

Abate, Maggio, Balzaretti and Criscito. That's a pretty nice selection for Italy's fullbacks. All of them very mobile and agile.

And with different characteristics. Yes, agreed, it isn't too bad.

So is Cassano definately out of the Euros this summer?

I don't know. He's supposed to be back in 4-6 months, that means around March/April. If he manages to get back on shape during that period, he may be called up.

I don't see him being called up and I don't think it's worth the risk - same goes for Rossi.

If someone hasn't played for 6 months you never know how they are going to be. And summer competitions are pretty demanding with a game every 3 days or so. (It happens in the club season too, but most players are rested before/after CL games). I just don't think someone that is out for so long can come back and play games that quickly after one another.

Think Italy should probably go Balo, Pazzini, Matri and Di Natale

Just curious as to what you guys think the Italian squad will look like? For so long it's been pretty predictable in my opinion, but this is the first year where most of the nations big names are past their best or retired.

Really? I didn't see it that way.

Germany and Spain will be practically the same teams, or in chase of Germany, even fresher and stronger. Portugal is more or less the same toothless team, if they manage to get past Bosnia&Herzegovina. England changed a bit, but I expect nothing new from them. Netherlands also with some cosmetic changes.

Less underdogs and dark horse candidates this time as well. Russia could be one, Ukraine maybe as well, but I doubt it.

Italy and France will be works in progress. This time I expect more of the French then of Italy. Isn't Di Natale retired? Anyway, the listed attack isn't near as good as with Cassano and Rossi. Don't forget Osvaldo, he'll probably get the nod.

I meant that Italian squads for nearly a decade seem to have been the same. The likes of Buffon, Nesta, Maldini, Zambrotta, Gattuso, Pirlo, Rossi, Totti, Del Piero, Camoranesi Inzaghi are in the squads almost every time. England is the same, but we're not quite at the end of the cycle like Italy is (We'll still have Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, etc. at Euro2012).

Whereas now the Italian squad will have a very different look, in my opinion. Buffon and Pirlo will probably still be there, but I'm sure there will be alot of newer faces.

Di Sanctis GK #3, Maggio, Criscito, Balzaretti, Abate, Motta, Marchisio and pretty much every striker in the squad will have under 25 caps, most under 10. Whereas most previous Italian squads are loaded with player that've had at least 30 caps in the past from what I recall.

Not really, Prandelli just doesn't call him. Which would be a heresy if Cassano doesn't make it. The guy, despite his age, has been a scoring machine for the past three years. He deserves at least the bench.

“Di Natale is a player who is doing very well, but he is 34 and I have to give some consistency to our rejuvenation by focusing on players who are 25 or 26.

“Then if by March Di Natale has scored 25 goals I’ll call him up. It’s easy to integrate a player like Di Natale – he has quality and the experience to fit in easily with the national side.”

http://www.football-italia.net/node/12649

If both Cassano and Giuseppe can't make it, I would play Di Natale along Balotelli up front. Not really got the feeling players like Pazzini and Gilardino are all that.

FIFA refuse to allow England to wear poppies

Ummmm, why are we still part of FIFA? Show some guts and pull out of this disgraceful, corrupt, organisation.

Then England will never again participate in any world cup. One could argue they already don't but I'm being facetious.

Really couldnt care less. These last 18 months have done enough for me to lose interest in FIFA competition. Its become a huge joke.

Really happy for him. He deserves it after all the hard work.

So after a word from William and Cameron FIFA say we can have a poppy on our black armbands. Not really sure what FIFA feel they're gaining by refusing to allow us having them on our shirts. Apparently they don't want any part of a football match to be about a political thing. Well is our minutes silence before the game not political? Are our black armbands not political? What about the poppies on their armbands? Well done to the FA, William and Cameron for pushing this and making FIFA look like complete clowns.

#HavingAPartyWhenBlatterDies

Actually, why would black armbands and minutes of silence be political?

Don't mind if I join you. Few sports organizations are as corrupt (or incompetent) as FIFA.

Then why is a poppy political? Because of what it stands for.

Had they said nothing to commemorate it was allowed, everyone would accept that. But they are making themself look incredibly stupid over this. They're now even allowing us to have a poppy on our armbands. So basically it's FIFA trying to make something out of nothing.

Wonder why they allowed the Germans to force teams to give Nazi salutes for games played in Germany? Unless they don't consider that political?

Nazi salutes? What are you talking about?

I don't know if a poppy is political or not, I didn't read what that poppy stands for, but commemorating someones death is hardly political.

So you're with me on this one then.

The poppy is a symbol rememberance by Commonwealth countries for anyone in the armed forces who has died since WW1. We simply want to put a poppy on our national teams shirt - like all the English club teams do - so we can then auction of the shirts to make money for the British Legion. FIFA decide that this is 'political' and say we can not do it. How is that any more political than having a black armband for the same reason? Or holding a minutes silence for the same reason? They're even allowing us to have a poppy on our armband now. Just sems like they are being awkward with us for no reason at all.


They say they want no political goings on at football games (though they can't really stop the fans). Yet they allowed this to go on during WW2.

They're full of **** basically.

FIFA have just made themselves to look like mugs even more. If they said no and kept to that stance it would have been one thing, the fact they said no, a few guys started protesting and all of a sudden they've said yes. How are they in control of World Football? Madness.

So you blame them for their behavior 60-70 years ago? That's quite absurd. Rather blame Neville Chamberlain, if you gotta blame someone else then the Nazi's.


Although it is a bit political, in a sense that not all armed forces actions were justified for some people, I agree.


Naah, it's a lose-lose situation. You guys criticized them before they revoked their decision, you criticize them now as well. They can't win.

I never criticised them in the first place...

Good job on the generalisation though

I don't follow. FIFA say they want no political goings on at football games and never have. So why make such a big deal out of us wearing poppies (which isn't even all that political, it's just our way of remembering the dead) when they allowed teams from different nations make a political gesture and say nothing about it.



I criticised them before because it's a pathetic ruling. I criticise them now because they said they would "never allow such thing" then backed down within 2 days. Had they just made a sensible decision originally I wouldn't have even bought it up. But if you're going to take a stance on something, stick to it or you deserve to be mocked.

Italy starting XI: Buffon; Abate, Ranocchia, Chiellini, Criscito; Pirlo, De Rossi, Marchisio; Montolivo; Balotelli, Pazzini

How's Criscito being doing in Russia, anyone know?

Very well, he is, along with Danny, the players who the team feed the ball to in order to go up the field. I see him signing with Inter next summer TBH... Nonetheless, a truly remarkable player in a sad age for LBs.

Danny? The one who managed to miss a gazillion chances in the CL game against Shakhtar?

And against Porto too.

i saw both games and albeit wasteful, he is a very classy AM in a fairly static team.