[beckie]

Croatia call-up
Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (Shakhtar Donetsk), Joey Didulica (AZ Alkmaar)
Defenders: Dario Simic (AC Milan), Goran Sablic (Dynamo Kiev), Igor Tudor (Juventus), Robert Kovac (Juventus), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Dario Knezevic (Rijeka), Hrvoje Cale (Dinamo Zagreb)
Midfielders: Jurica Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Niko Kovac (Red Bull Salzburg), Jerko Leko (AS Monaco), Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Milan Rapaic (Standard Liege), Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk Split), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb)
Forwards: Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Mladen Petric (Basel), Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), Bosko Balaban (Club Brugge), Eduardo Da Silva (Dinamo Zagreb)

 

[beckie]

a brazilian and a Rapaic

 

[Levato_Italia]

Don't think that Aquilani and Donadel would play at the same time. So if it comes between Aquilani and Doandel who will compete for the regista I think it is an easy pick of Donadel over Aquilani. I could envision Coppola playing as a more defensive minded mid. Let's not overlook that Volpi could be called as well, probably over Aquilani again. But that's a a decent team picked. I wouldn't be suprised though if Coda was called up.

 

[Catenaccio]

I have to admit that FIFA and UEFA should talk to one another.

It is silly to have qualifiers for Euro2008 just over a month after the world cup final. Give the players a break.

The fact that Italy is unlikely to have any world cup players in their friendly just proves how stupid it is. I am sure that other national teams are in the same boat.

But if it were me, I would like to see a team like this:

---------------De Sanctis------------------

Panucci------Bonera---xxxxx?--------Chiellini

Marchionni---Maresca---Ambrosini---Esposito

-------------Lucarelli----Miccoli-------------

I think it is a good opportunity to give players like Maresca, Miccoli, Marchionni and Esposito or Donadel a chance.

With the potential that players like Totti, Del Piero and Camoranesi may not be in top shape for the next tournament or indeed retiring....we should work on our wing players.

Italy are starting to have options for the wings these days:

Marchionni
Esposito
Gasbarroni
Di Natale
Maresca (can play on the wing)
Miccoli (can play out wide too)
Chiellini (has played well on the wing before)
Grosso (started career as a winger)

We should try to work on this for the next tournament.

 

[Jonathan da Costa]

I have to admit that FIFA and UEFA should talk to one another.

It is silly to have qualifiers for Euro2008 just over a month after the world cup final. Give the players a break.

The fact that Italy is unlikely to have any world cup players in their friendly just proves how stupid it is. I am sure that other national teams are in the same boat.

But if it were me, I would like to see a team like this:

---------------De Sanctis------------------

Panucci------Bonera---xxxxx?--------Chiellini

Marchionni---Maresca---Ambrosini---Esposito

-------------Lucarelli----Miccoli-------------

I think it is a good opportunity to give players like Maresca, Miccoli, Marchionni and Esposito or Donadel a chance.

With the potential that players like Totti, Del Piero and Camoranesi may not be in top shape for the next tournament or indeed retiring....we should work on our wing players.

Italy are starting to have options for the wings these days:

Marchionni
Esposito
Gasbarroni
Di Natale
Maresca (can play on the wing)
Miccoli (can play out wide too)
Chiellini (has played well on the wing before)
Grosso (started career as a winger)

We should try to work on this for the next tournament.

No Pasqual? Hey,he was one of the best players in Serie A last season.

 

[marlo85]

If it was up to me i would play this team

----------------de sanctis
mesto------bonera----bovo----chiellini
marchionni---maresca--donadel----foggia
--------------tavano----cassano

i know this wont happen though......too attacking

 

[Deano]

Having a stab at the squad

De Sanctis, Abbiati

Bonera, Bovo, Gamberini, Dainelli, Moretti, Pasqual, Potenza

Aquilani, Ambrosini, Donadel, Maresca, Marchionni, Foggia, Semioli, Esposito

Tavano, Di Natale, Di Michele, Caracciolo, Lucarelli

-------------------------------------------------------

Abbiati; Bonera, Bovo, Gamberini, Pasqual; Marchionni, Maresca, Ambrosini, Foggia; Tavano, Caracciolo.

It is really hard to know because Donadoni will have his own ideas. By 2007 we will know who his favourties are. I just hope he avoids talentless scum like Blasi.

 

[ciccio]

bovo is injured, and will miss the first few weeks of the season

 

[Deano]

Take out Bovo of my squad and enter Cassetti. Play Bonera CB and Potenza RB.

 

[Mikey]

This is one of those wierd games where the team will not be that representative of Donadoni's Italy. I'd like to see a young, fiesty team play.

Maybe Roberto can come up with some alternatives in central defence, this area really worries me.

 

[Deano]

This is one of those wierd games where the team will not be that representative of Donadoni's Italy. I'd like to see a young, fiesty team play.

Maybe Roberto can come up with some alternatives in central defence, this area really worries me.

It is possible that we could go into the next championship with the same defenders. Maybe Bovo can break through if he has a succesful time with Palermo (I rate him very highly). Barzagli looked assured for Italy in the World Cup and he and Bovo as partners in Sicily could give both of them the chance to make a great understanding for the future. Materazzi will be 35 by 2008, but he still seems good (for his level) Other alternatives would include Canini if he has another good season with Cagliari and Gamberini if he does well with Fiorentina this year.

No one outstanding though, which is the worry. Waiting on Andreolli of Inter aswell, but I doubt he will play so much. We will also see how Bonera does in Milan.

 

[Mikey]

None of them give me great confidence to be honest, maybe someone unheard of will come through in the next 2 years. Certainly Nesta will be around for a while yet and Cannavaro should be there for 2008.

 

[Deano]

Canini is more or less unheard of. For a person like me who has followed the youth teams for years, no one is really unknown unless they break through from Serie C1 or something like that.

If there is going to be an outstanding defender come out of Italy it will be between Canini, Andreolli, Coda and Bovo. However the chances of any of them being so great are slim. However an Italian defender will always know how to defend, as we found out in the World Cup as we won the tournament basically without Nesta.

 

[beckie]

Donadoni's NT released: Italy Vs Croatia

Goalkeepers
Marco Amelia (Livorno), Flavio Roma (Monaco)


Defenders
Daniele Bonera (Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giulio Falcone (Sampdoria), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Christian Terlizzi (Sampdoria), Luciano Zauri (Lazio), Cristian Zenoni (Sampdoria)


Midfielders
Massimo Ambrosini (Milan), Gennaro Del Vecchio (Sampdoria), Massimo Gobbi (Fiorentina), Fabio Liverani (Fiorentina), Stefano Morrone (Livorno), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Franco Semioli (Chievo)


Forwards
Andrea Caracciolo (Palermo), David Di Michele (Palermo), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Mauro Esposito (Cagliari), Cristiano Lucarelli (Livorno), Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio)

 

[pirri]

...no tavano..shocking...some very very weird choices here..

 

[River]

Wait....

Aprt from Amelia, I don't think any of the players listed made the Lippi WC's squad.:irritate: I think Max will get the captain band in this particular team.

 

[barracuda]

As Ambrosini is fit again, he really should be in the NT and especially an experimental one like this.

 

[beckie]

Morrone is called for Livorno, but 32-year-old Falcone for what

 

[Real_Madrid]

wow a B team and still no Cassano :eekani:

 

[pirri]

to be honest this looks more like a C team