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Molinaro: 'No thanks to Juve!'[/FONT]
Saturday 7 August, 2010
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Christian Molinaro bitterly criticised Juventus for holding back his progress after receiving his Italy call-up under Cesare Prandelli.
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The former Bianconeri full-back is now one of the key figures in Stuttgart and is among the new faces for the August 10 friendly against the Ivory Coast.
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“This call is a wonderful surprise. Did I expect it? I only ever focused on working hard,” he told Sky Italia television.
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“I always said that the only way to earn an international cap was to do well on the field.
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“I was not given the opportunity to do that in Italy. I am happy that I went to Germany, as I rediscovered my form here.”
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Molinaro was forced to leave Turin in January after he was dropped by Ciro Ferrara and demanded first team football elsewhere.
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“I’ll be honest here, I never protest at the decisions of a Coach. Even last season, when after two years as a first-team player I ended up on the bench. It is right for a tactician to make his own choices.
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“The last two months of 2009 were not great. The time had come for a new experience. Germany was crucial for me to prove what I had done in my years at Juventus was not entirely worthless.”
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A former Bianconeri teammate, Amauri, has also received a call by Prandelli and is the latest of the ‘Oriundi’ to adopt Italian nationality.
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“Amauri was often unjustly criticised at Juve and I am truly happy he’ll get the chance to prove his quality with the Azzurri,” continued Molinaro.
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“It’s normal that the best players available are called up for the national team. If the Oriundi have the chance to be called, I don’t see why they shouldn’t play.
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“In Germany at the moment there are more nationalised players than ‘pure’ Germans in the squad. It can be an important step for Italy, too.”
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