Alex, see you in Hong Kong! (1 Viewer)

May 4, 2004
11,622
#2
Azzurri: Totti dropped for Norway trip Sunday 29 May, 2005

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channel4.com

Marcello Lippi has named the squad for next week’s World Cup qualifier in Norway, but dropped Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti.

It had already been rumoured that the Juventus captain would not be included, though Totti’s absence is more of a surprise. This may be extra punishment following the Roma star’s five-match ban for violent conduct.


Instead, Inter’s Christian Vieri earns a recall after months of injury worries, while Mauro Esposito and Antonio Cassano retain their spots in a relatively young front line along with Alberto Gilardino and Luca Toni.


Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso is suspended, while Juve’s Gianluca Zambrotta returns from a one-match ban.


The crunch match will take place in Oslo on Saturday June 4 and the Ullevaal Stadium and will be one of the most important ties in Group 5. Italy currently lead on 12 points ahead of Norway and Slovenia with 8.


The squad will come together at the Coverciano training ground on Monday evening and leave for Oslo on Friday afternoon.


The tie will be refereed by Spaniard Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez – the same official who was in charge of the Champions’ League Final between Milan and Liverpool. Curiously, his first international was Italy v Norway on February 10 1999.



Gk: Buffon (Juventus), Roma (Monaco)


D: Barzagli (Palermo), Bonera (Parma), Cannavaro (Juventus), Chiellini (Fiorentina), Grosso (Palermo), Materazzi (Inter), Nesta (Milan), Zaccardo (Palermo)


M: Barone (Palermo), Blasi (Juve), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Diana (Sampdoria), Pirlo (Milan), Zambrotta (Juventus)


F: Cassano (Roma), Esposito (Cagliari), Gilardino (Parma), Toni (Palermo), Vieri (Inter)
 

Boksic

Senior Member
May 11, 2005
13,333
#4
thats a joke!!! Del Piero is playing far better than Cassano currently and is 10x better than Vieri this season, Di Michele or Lucarelli would be better than Vieri
 

Azzurri7

Pinturicchio
Moderator
Dec 16, 2003
72,692
#7
++ [ originally posted by isha00 ] ++
Alex had to go to the Juventus Tour, because, if he didn't, Juventus would have had to pay a fee.
Yeah, Just heard it on Tv, Del Piero wasn't Selected definitely because Juventus needs him in this Tour for the Cash.
 

Maher

Juventuz addict
Dec 16, 2002
13,521
#9
++ [ originally posted by Boksic ] ++
thats a joke!!! Del Piero is playing far better than Cassano currently and is 10x better than Vieri this season, Di Michele or Lucarelli would be better than Vieri
agreed vieri days are over , he should go to qatar :D
 

Stu

Senior Member
Jul 14, 2002
17,557
#13
I highly doubt that is the case, Seven. Perhaps if it were a friendly, but if Lippi wanted to call up DP for the WC quali on Saturday Juve couldn't have stopped him.

On the matter of the NT squad though, both Del Piero and Di Michele have been better than Cassano in recent weeks and the inclusion of Vieri at Cristiano Lucarelli's expense is almost comical.

I would have called Gilardino, Lucarelli, Toni, Esposito, Del Piero and either Di Michele or Cassano. 4-3-3 would be my system of choice with a back four comprised of Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro and Chiellini. Camoranesi, Pirlo and Gattuso would play in midfield with Esposito and Del Piero supporting Gilardino.
 

isha00

Senior Member
Jun 24, 2003
5,115
#16
++ [ originally posted by Stuart ] ++
I highly doubt that is the case, Seven. Perhaps if it were a friendly, but if Lippi wanted to call up DP for the WC quali on Saturday Juve couldn't have stopped him.
Not officially, but many and many times the Italian players have faked injuries to rest for their clubs or the NT coaches avoided to call certain people in certain situations.
+ Lippi is very close to Juventus. If Moggi asked him a favour, I doubt he would say no, also because Lippi has many alternatives.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Del Piero would have been called if it wasn't for Japan. Who knows...
 

44BigBert

Senior Member
Aug 20, 2004
730
#18
++ [ originally posted by isha00 ] ++
Alex had to go to the Juventus Tour, because, if he didn't, Juventus would have had to pay a fee.
i think this is the main reason why DP wasn't selected by lippi. I believe all 3 parties, juve, DP and lippi reached the agreement before the selection.
 

SobatPadi

Senior Member
Apr 21, 2005
570
#19
so buffon, blasi, zambrotta, cannavaro and camoranesi arent important for the friendly match in the tour...

i was still wondering how come blasi is always included in the NT... i thought he has performed badly...
 

44BigBert

Senior Member
Aug 20, 2004
730
#20
++ [ originally posted by SobatPadi ] ++
so buffon, blasi, zambrotta, cannavaro and camoranesi arent important for the friendly match in the tour...

i was still wondering how come blasi is always included in the NT... i thought he has performed badly...
because DP is not as important as they are in NT :D:D

DP is still so popular in Japan, he must be included in this trip. He is the selling point.
 

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