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| Monday 4 February, 2008 |
| Blog: Where’s Cassano? |
| Roberto Donadoni’s latest Italy squad was more about who was omitted rather than included, as Antonio Labbate explains |
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If Antonio Cassano had been handed the Italian No 10 shirt for Wednesday’s friendly against Portugal, no one could have blamed boss Roberto Donadoni. Back in form at Sampdoria following his loan switch from Real Madrid in the summer, Cassano was expected to return to the Giro Azzurro after a fine few months of football at Marassi. Instead, he’s been left at home.
We’re yet to hear from Donadoni as to why exactly the Bari native has been omitted from his thinking. It surely can’t be for form reasons. If Marco Borriello can win recognition for his scoring pedigree this season and Raffaele Palladino can get the nod despite his lack of regular use at Juventus, surely Cassano was worth a closer look. He deserved to see his name on that squad list.
While the player’s many critics can justifiably argue that his questionable temperament makes him a liability, as his childish tears in the recent Fiorentina game underlined, the Azzurri jersey should really be a second skin to the former Roma ace by now. He may not be the perfect role model – let’s face it, he never will – but the boy is a match winner and an exciting one at that.
If Cassano can consider himself unlucky to not be picked for the Zurich friendly, then Alessandro Del Piero must be thinking that his international career may be over. Tipped – like Cassano – to net a recall as a result of his recent Juventus showings, Alex may have to accept the fact that he won’t be handed a chance to add to his 85 caps and 25 goals.
I expect Donadoni will reel off his usual “my doors are still open” line when he does meet the media this week, but he’s playing a risky game. With the Finals so close and just a friendly against Spain to follow in March, the Azzurri run the risk of travelling to Euro 2008 with no recognisable No 10 after the premature retirement of Francesco Totti.
Not being able to find room in a 23-man squad for a player who could inspire a nation to victory with as little as a shimmy would be an embarrassment and oversight for the tactician. He can argue that he masterminded qualification without a technically gifted second striker, but one could make all the difference in the summer to a team who – let’s not overlook it – will find it difficult to even progress from the group stage.
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I think Donadoni is hopeless. He really shouldn’t be the Italy Coach – Fabio Capello should!
Anonymous
Antonio Cassano is the most talented forward in Italy. When he has his act together, I think he’s the best forward Italy’s had since Roberto Baggio. To me, Donadoni should be looking to help Cassano get his act together and should look to create ways to use Cassano. For Donadoni to see Cassano pulling himself together, and still ignore him so soon to Euro 2008 is quite foolish. I hate to say this, but it makes you wonder if Donadoni is the right man for the job.
Joe, Brooklyn, NY
I don't think that Donadoni's snubbing of Cassano for the friendly was a bad call. I think that the Coach is looking for the calmness and discipline in the team which he would jeopardise if he called Cassano. He is so unpredictable and you don't know when he is going to explode. Maybe Donadoni is trying to see how Cassano deals with the frustration of being left out. I just hope we won't get smashed by Ronaldo in this game.
Mohammed Nuaimi
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