Italy: Abate, Balotelli and Matri called

gnazio Abate, Mario Balotelli and Alessandro Matri are called for Italy’s friendlies against Poland and Uruguay. “I’ll wait for Antonio Cassano and Giuseppe Rossi.”
The Azzurri have already qualified for Euro 2012 and therefore have two international tests, which are particularly important with Cassano and Rossi out for six months.

“I visited Cassano in hospital and he was doing well with real hunger to get back on the field, which is a good sign,” said Cesare Prandelli on Stadio Sprint.

“Unfortunately we have lost two important players like Antonio and Giuseppe, but I’ll wait for them. In the meantime, we have to evaluate some other options, so these friendlies have come at the right time.

“The plan was to put Balotelli between those two, as we are really counting on him. I’ve called up Abate, who is in great shape for Milan, but he has to prove he deserves the Nazionale by performing consistently.”

Juventus duo Matri and Simone Pepe also return to the squad, but there is no call for top scorer Antonio Di Natale or Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.

Italy will take on Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland in Wroclaw on Friday November 11 and then welcome Copa America winners Uruguay to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Tuesday November 15.

Goalkeepers: Buffon, De Sanctis, Sirigu

Defenders: Abate, Maggio, Balzaretti, Criscito, Ogbonna, Barzagli, Chiellini, Bonucci

Midfielders: Aquilani, De Rossi, Marchisio, Montolivo, Nocerino, Pirlo, Pepe, Thiago Motta

Forwards: Giovinco, Balotelli, Pazzini, Matri, Osvaldo

OMG PEPE AND GODBATE LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO

Pepe I love u... No homo

Pepe ftw

That must be the weakest Italy call up since I remember football...

Devi this is wrong. Ranocchia was picked not bon Bon

pasquale22 wrote:Devi this is wrong. Ranocchia was picked not bon Bon

source?

other than the strikers,that is a pretty damn weak list of players.Italy isnt much about individualism so it doesnt matter though

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:

pasquale22 wrote:Devi this is wrong. Ranocchia was picked not bon Bon

source?

First a friend of mine posted the squad on twitter then I saw it online goal.com

OH MY PEPE AND ABATE!!!!

Ganso wrote:other than the strikers,that is a pretty damn weak list of players.Italy isnt much about individualism so it doesnt matter though

Other than strikers? You do realize most players called up were the ones who made us qualfiy?

pasquale22 wrote:

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:

pasquale22 wrote:Devi this is wrong. Ranocchia was picked not bon Bon

source?

First a friend of mine posted the squad on twitter then I saw it online goal.com

this is the official call up :/

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain/FRA), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli)
Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Zenit St Petersburg/RUS), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan)
Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (AC Milan), Daniele de Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Inter Milan), Antonio Nocerino (Palermo), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City/ENG), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Alessandro Matri (Juventus), Pablo Osvaldo (Roma), Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter Milan), Simone Pepe (Juventus)

http://football-italia.net/nov6r.html

I trust them more than goal.com

Well to me this is still a fantastic squad. I personally trust goal.com more but I doubt prandelli would drop bonucci the one time he actually has a good game, but then again I don't see him not calling ranocchia. But maybe rano is still injured.

I'd like to see

Maggio Barzagli Chiellini Criscito
De Rossi Pirlo Motta
Giovinco
Pazzini Balotelli

I will probably see montolivo over giovinco and Chiellini at lb or ranocchia over barzagli. I hope not, barzagli is a must IMO.

This is an amazing squad tbh, besides Osvaldo. Aquilani, Marchisio are in FANTASTIC form yet there's no room for them both in starting XI, Balotelli is in great form as well as giovinco and arguably matri too yet he's a sub. I expect great things.I haven't been as excited to see Italy play since the world cup.

http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/calcio_la_nazionale/articoli/71403/nazionale-prandelli-convoca-abate.shtml

http://www.gazzetta.it/Nazionale/06-11-2011/prandelli-novita-abate-803608273283.shtml

http://www.tuttosport.com/calcio/serie_a/juventus/2011/11/06-153442/Italia%2C+tornano+Matri+e+Pepe.+In+azzurro+sette+juventini

All sources say Ranocchia... must be a mistake by Football Italia... very odd indeed. But its minor so...

zarola wrote:Well to me this is still a fantastic squad. I personally trust goal.com more but I doubt prandelli would drop bonucci the one time he actually has a good game, but then again I don't see him not calling ranocchia. But maybe rano is still injured.

I'd like to see

Maggio Barzagli Chiellini Criscito
De Rossi Pirlo Motta
Giovinco
Pazzini Balotelli

I will probably see montolivo over giovinco and Chiellini at lb or ranocchia over barzagli. I hope not, barzagli is a must IMO.

This is an amazing squad tbh, besides Osvaldo. Aquilani, Marchisio are in FANTASTIC form yet there's no room for them both in starting XI, Balotelli is in great form as well as giovinco and arguably matri too yet he's a sub. I expect great things.I haven't been as excited to see Italy play since the world cup.

lol'd, no surprise you favor Motta over Marchisio even after his great form...

Sanzone92 - 06/11/11

Thiago Motta e Pepe noooooo
segnala un abuso

lakers91 - 06/11/11
Pepe noooooooooooooooooooo!!

pomgio - 06/11/11

anche per la scelta Pepe......ma come si fà ?

mathieu84 - 06/11/11

Pepe è INGUARDABILE e, come dice "ninafranco", ci sono giocatori che meritano di più come quelli già citati: per esempio Meggiorini del Novara vi fa schifo???

Never a dull moment, getting comments off Mediaset... People still hate Pepe. No surprise.

Oh wait there's more... courtesy of the Gazzatta.




Non si spiegano le convocazioni di Pepe e Osvaldo, il primo scarso come pochi, il secondo assolutamente inconcludente, i gol segnati finora frutto di una fortuna sfacciata

mentre in attacco fuori pepe

al posto di Pepe penso che Di Natale sarebbe molto meglio!!

Ecco forse al posto di Pepe, che non serve alla nazionale, io avrei chiamato Cerci

Doveva chiamare Totó é in un grande momento e anche se ha qualche anno l'europeo lo puó fare alla grande,sicuramente merita di piú di Pepe

Pepe in attacco è scandaloso!!!!

Mentre non mi piace il ritorno di Pepe: la Juve sta in alto non certo per merito suo, a me è sempre sembrato scarso.

ma Thiago Motta e Pepe sono da escludere per sempre,troppo scarsi!!!

ma per favore... nn ci credo che in tutta italia nn c è uno meglio di pepe!! ma poi se proprio deve, almeno convocalo coi centrocampisti!!!

pepe è il giocatore più insulso della storia del calcio.....

No surprise that people don't want such mediocrity in the national team

People just fear what torture pepe will cause for the oppositions.

My favorite one.

da juventino ,ma affezionato alla nazionale,dico......... ma pepe dove va.è un giocatore ridicolo già x la juve...

Even from Juventus, now attacthed to the national team, my point is.... Pepe where are you going? He's already a ridiculous player to have at Juventus...

Luca wrote:No surprise that people don't want such mediocrity in the national team

Agreed

zarola wrote:People just fear what torture pepe will cause for the oppositions.

haha nice sarcasm.

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:My favorite one.

da juventino ,ma affezionato alla nazionale,dico......... ma pepe dove va.è un giocatore ridicolo già x la juve...

Even from Juventus, now attacthed to the national team, my point is.... Pepe where are you going? He's already a ridiculous player to have at Juventus...

I believe in this comment

Abate and Pepe on the right flank together?Is this how the world ends

VibeTribe wrote:Abate and Pepe on the right flank together?Is this how the world ends

Not happening.