Lippi excluded Cassano from the Giro Nazionale and he has come under heavy criticism for it despite the striker not living up to expectation in this early part of the campaign.



"There is no particular problem with Cassano," Lippi said at the Azzurri press conference.

"I heard there were rumours about personal doubts but there is nothing in those. It's just a simple technical choice on my part. I want to see other players at the moment." [+]
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Not the most reliable source, but has me wondering why he keeps refusing to call him up. Technical choice WTF?

A friend told me today he won't call him up because Cassano beat Lippi's son's ass in a club. That might be it haha, does anyone know?

Doubt it is true.

Cassano doesn't call Lippi because he thinks he will disrupt the harmony of his squad, although Cassano seems to have calmed down a lot recently. He is having a brilliant time at Sampdoria, he doesn't score a lot of goals but creates countless assists with genius throughout matches. The fact he doesn't score enough and would play in a position perhaps requiring goals goes against him also, however if he is creating for the main striker then does it really matter? The more that people turn every Italy team meeting into the Antonio Cassano protest show, the less likely Lippi is to call him. He is really irritated with it. However if Cassano has another brilliant season as he has so far, then he surely can't fail to call him. However he has some viable excuses so far, Di Natale, a player in his position, is Serie A top scorer (9 in 7 games). There are a lot of forwards in the second striker position to choose from.

He is that good that Italy have four players who should be dead certs to play and the rest are filled in around them, they are: Buffon, Chiellini, De Rossi, Cassano.

This is a very funny article I found on goal.com (OK not the most credible source) but non the less it talks about Lippi and Cassano. The article is an interview from Simone Pepe. Probably the worst player on the current Italy squad.





OK, Pepe and you sure have done enough to warrant your call up to that NT squad.

Back to the main topic of this thread. If Totti decides to come back to the NT Cassano has no chance. If Totti stays in retirement, and Cassano keeps playing the way he is he has a chance. At the end of the day I predict Lippi will call others over Cassano.

He does have a point though, even if he is very biased. De Rossi also said the same, how others had scored more than Cassano.

I'm not sure what it is, whether Lippi feels that because he plays an assister (Camoranesi) on one side he has to have another scorer on the left to go with a central striker.

Di Natale is a small game player. I saw how he choked against Inter this season.

Cassano is the way forward.

lol didnt he score against Inter that game ?

It would be criminal to consider Totti in the national squad and neglect Cassano.

Just saw his performance against Bologna, sure Bologna isn't exactly your super-sized big mac, but what a show by Cassano. And what a volley by that guy with the ponytail. WTF, it was magical.

'Ugly story' keeps Cassano out

Sampdoria President Riccardo Garrone has revealed how an “ugly story” has kept Marcello Lippi from calling up Antonio Cassano to the Italy squad.

Lippi has repeatedly ignored the 27-year-old despite some virtuoso performances in Serie A that inspired Samp to the top of the table earlier this season.

The majority of the fans and the media have criticised Lippi for his attitude, but Garrone's revelations now shed new light on the reasoning behind his decision.

Speaking to Radio Capital, Garrone said: “Cassano has an explanation that I know and that I also have no intention of speaking about.

“I have never spoken with Lippi. I have never allowed myself to speak about Cassano. Maybe one day this story will come out, and it will be a very very ugly story,” he concluded.

The comments were made yesterday and attracted little attention at the time, but Il Corriere dello Sport has published them again and is demanding an explanation.

The Rome based daily newspaper feels the public have the right to know what is stopping Cassano from playing for La Nazionale.

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Maybe there is something in that first story, or a similar story, but for whatever reason it seems unlikely he will get a call from Lippi. Perhaps Lippi will go after the WC, but Cassano has to just play well.

oh my...what could that be?

Lippi: 'What Cassano story?'

Marcello Lippi is curious as to what the “very ugly story” stopping Antonio Cassano from reaching the Italy squad could be.

Sampdoria President Riccardo Garrone made the shock statements this week when he claimed there was an incident, “a very ugly story,” that was the reason behind Cassano’s absence from the Nazionale.

“I have nothing to add,” replied Lippi. “Naturally when I read the papers this morning it was like a bolt from the blue.

“If something had been in it, I was curious to know what it was, because I don’t know of any incident either.

“However, seeing as I was pleased to read Sampdoria tone down the remarks, I have nothing to add.”

This afternoon the club released a statement on its official website pointing out “there has never been – as far as I know – any serious incident or non-football reason” behind Cassano’s lack of Italy caps.

“There must’ve been some kind of misunderstanding,” assured Federation director general Antonello Valentini on Radio Capital.

“We wanted to find out what had happened, but Sampdoria anticipated us with their own statement. As far as we are concerned, the matter is over.”

http://www.football-italia.net/nov4r.html

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The mystery continues...

It's probably because he looks like he's been attacked by a maniac with a cheese grater

Cassano hit my son, jokes Lippi

Italy boss Marcello Lippi has joked that the reason why he has repeatedly ignored Antonio Cassano is because he gave his son Davide a swollen cheek.

Earlier this month Sampdoria President Riccardo Garrone said that “a very very ugly story” was keeping Cassano out of the Italy squad.

As Garrone was unwilling to reveal what the “ugly story” actually was, the Italian Press went into overdrive, speculating about all sorts of possible scenarios.

La Stampa wrote that Cassano had actually been involved in a fight with Lippi’s son David who is an influential football agent.

At the time, Lippi denied the allegation, but he has since seen the funny side.

Accosted by a reporter from satirical Italian TV show Striscia La Notizia, Lippi joked: “My son has a swollen cheek because of that punch.”

Asked if Cassano and his son had in fact quarreled, Lippi turned serious and replied: “I don’t know, it doesn’t concern me.”

The World Cup winner then had a pop at the media for misquoting him during yesterday’s Press Conference.

It was widely reported that Lippi called Gianluigi Buffon “a canary sculpted in marble” when he actually called him “a tractor sculpted in marble.”

http://www.football-italia.net/nov11k.html

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Seems like it may in fact have happened, but it isn't the reason.

LOL this is like an Agatha Christie thread

Lippi is backtracking like a maniac, Sampdoria backtracked from their "ugly ugly story" quote blatantly because of pressure from the italian FA or something. Cassano punched Lippi's son and Cassano is a wild card. Lippi doesn't like the man as a result and isn't picking him. It is obviously not based on ability as Cassano has the ability to unlock defenses, type of player that I feel Italy are lacking

According to the Italian Minister For Defence (no I'm not joking), he doesn't call him because he isn't a 'Juventino' lol.

How about it is because he is an ARSEHOLE. His behavour might have toned down a bit, but he's got a good habit of wrecking team morale and whinging when things don't go his own way.

Yes I am biased. He is definatley one of footballs biggest wankers though.

Never took this perspective yet, but yeah, it's true, every other player on the squad is pretty good looking, but Cassano is quite ugly.

its clearly managers choice, and cassano ain't the best player in the world either.

Doesn't matter about the world, Lippi is Italy coach and Cassano is the most skillful forward.

This nutter could disrupt the squad harmony in the WC, I guess Lippi won't take the risk.