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Balotelli misses out on Italy recall

Mario Balotelli was not included in Roberto Mancini’s squad on Friday for Italy’s final Euro 2020 qualifiers, despite the president of the country’s football federation (FIGC) calling for him to be selected.

Balotelli 

After Balotelli was the victim of racist abuse by Verona fans while playing for Brescia last weekend, FIGC boss Gabriele Gravina said calling up the striker would send “an extraordinary message”.

But the 29-year-old missed out on a return to the international fold for the first time in a year.

Balotelli has scored two goals in six league appearances since returning to Italy with Brescia after a spell at French club Marseille.

He has found the net 14 times in 36 international appearances since making his Azzurri debut in 2010.

Italy, who have already qualified for next year’s European Championship, face Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 15 before hosting Armenia three days later.

Mancini has handed maiden call-ups to Brescia defender Andrea Cistana, Fiorentina midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli and Bologna forward Riccardo Orsolini.

Italy squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC
Milan), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta),
Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu
(Torino)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio),
Cristiano Biraghi (Inter Milan),
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Andrea
Cistana (Brescia), Giovanni Di Lorenzo
(Napoli), Emerson Palmieri
(Chelsea/ENG), Alessandro Florenzi
(Roma), Armando Izzo (Torino),
Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Alessio
Romagnoli (AC Milan), Leonardo
Spinazzola (Roma)

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter
Milan), Gaetano Castrovilli
(Fiorentina), Jorginho (Chelsea/ENG),
Rolando Mandragora (Udinese), Marco
Verratti (Paris SG/FRA), Nicolo
Zaniolo (Roma)

Read Also:Ogbonna Reveals Why He Opted For Italy

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino),
Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico
Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico
Chiesa (Fiorentina), Stephan El
Shaarawy (Shanghai Shenhua/CHN), Ciro
Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne
(Napoli), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna).

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