❌ Not just Calò: Mancini snubs big names! Who deserved an Italy call-up? 🇮🇹

❌ Not just Calò: Mancini snubs big names! Who deserved an Italy call-up? 🇮🇹 National team call-ups are always a hotly debated topic, and Mancini’s latest selections are certainly no exception. The 31-man squad announced by the Jesi-born coach for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium includes both Italy veterans and young prospects who have caught the eye to varying degrees. Some omissions of players who are not injured have raised eyebrows. The absence of Giacomo Calò has caused a particular stir: the Frosinone midfielder has made a sensational start to the season, with 5 goals, 2 assists and a string of performances that have brought him national attention. Mancini has nevertheless decided to leave him out: a choice that raises some questions, especially compared with other call-ups, such as Ricci, hardly a key figure in Fabregas’s high-flying Como side, or his young midfield teammate Riccardo Cassano , who has yet to make his first-team debut this season. The player’s agent, Vincenzo Pisacane, expressed surprise and disappointment at Mancini’s decision: “ It’s only natural that he was hoping for an Italy call-up and, in my view, it would have been right to recognise what he’s doing. I hope yesterday’s omission doesn’t signal the death of meritocracy and that Giacomo can be called up further down the line if he keeps this up; otherwise, it means there’s no logic to national team selections .” The absence of Alvini’s deep-lying playmaker is not, however, the only “surprise” omission when looking at players’ Serie A form. The decision not to call up Bryan Cristante , for instance, was unexpected. A linchpin of Gasperini’s Roma side, his performances have improved markedly in recent matches. The Giallorossi captain was included in Mancini’s initial squad selections but had to withdraw after suffering an injury against Inter: this time, the decision is purely a footballing one. Speaking of Roma, the omission of Emanuele Lulli also stands out, although the reasons are more understandable: the Giallorossi’s breakout wide player has been called up by Silvio Baldini’s Under-21 side, who are preparing for the next European Under-21 Championship. It is therefore plausible that the decision was made to avoid weakening the Under-21 squad too much. They are captained by Cher Ndour , another player who would have deserved a call-up. Staying with the wide positions, one name whose performances could have earned him a place in the squad is Romano Floriani Mussolini : the right-back has established himself with a string of strong displays for Rino Gattuso’s surprise-package Lazio side, but alongside the impressive Kayode, Mancini has preferred Marco Palestra in that position. Palestra recently made his Chelsea debut after spending the start of the season sidelined. In attack, the surprise omission is Daniel Maldini : despite a few ups and downs in recent weeks, the Cagliari playmaker has still shown that he has started the league campaign with more creative spark than in the past, as demonstrated by his goals against Juventus and Roma, which took his personal tally to 5. For this squad, the national team coach has opted for youth in Koleosho and Liberali, as well as recalling Zaniolo: the omission of the former Lazio and Atalanta player does not, however, feel like a definitive rejection. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.