Amauri's veiled ultimatum regarding his international future has left Steve Wilson's blood boiling
So Amauri is now up for grabs to whichever international team is quickest to get on the phone to him. Is that what the Italy jersey has been reduced to? A player stating “I will give my heart and soul to play for you… as long as you call me up before Brazil ask me.” It is another sign of the blatant disregard these millionaire playboys have for international football.
You or I would give anything to pull on our country's shirt, feel the hairs stand up on the back of our necks as we belted out our national anthem, chest proudly puffed out, and to look around the stadium at all our compatriots willing us on. Not so today's pampered prima donnas. The latest round of international football has highlighted the gulf between player and fan.
England have Ashley Cole pulling out a suspect sick note after being booed for his disinterested display against Kazakhstan and David Beckham denigrating the proud records of centurions like Billy Wright, Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore by picking up caps for celebrity three-minute cameos. Meanwhile, in Scotland you have Kris Boyd shamefully turning his back on his country.
However, in Italy you have the worst culprit of all. Amauri knows his chances of an extended career with Brazil are slim given their abundance of talents, but instead of accepting his lot he is the latest player to attempt to bend the rules by claiming Italian citizenship. Just like 'Spaniard' Marcos Senna, 'Turk' Mehmet Aurelio and 'Tunisian' Francileudo Dos Santos.
If the Juventus striker truly wants to play for Italy - and I think in honesty he would do far better in the blue of Italy than the yellow of Brazil - he should stop courting Dunga and offer himself forward 100% to Marcello Lippi. However, he says he will end this protracted drama over his international future by accepting the call of the first nation to contact him with an offer. A true mercenary.
This development blurs the line between club and national football forever. More and more players whose ability limits them getting a call from their birth nation will attempt to leech a career off their adopted countries. Personally I hope Dunga picks and plays Amauri for the Portugal friendly in November and then never selects him again. It would be nothing more than he deserved.
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