Italy announce final squad for Fifa World Cup
Holders Italy have revealed their final 23-man squad for the Fifa World Cup in South Africa, with every one of the party playing their club football in their home country.
Coach Marcello Lippi, in charge when the Italians won the tournament in Germany in 2006, has omitted the Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi and AC Milan striker Marco Borriello, as well as goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, defender Mattia Cassani and midifielder Andrea Cossu.
Veterans of the 2006 win including Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo and captain Fabio Cannavaro – the latter of whom will move from Juventus to Al-Ahli of Dubai after the tournament – are all selected, as Italy look to recapture the glory of four years ago.
Italy are in Group E, and will play their first game against Paraguay in Cape Town on June 14th, before further matches against New Zealand and Slovakia.
Italy’s final squad for the Fifa World Cup:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)
Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli).
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