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Pirlo unlikely to face Ireland at Euro 2016 as Conte leaves him out of Italy squad

Martin O’Neill’s side will take on the Italians in Lille on Wednesday, 22 June.

ITALY VETERAN ANDREA Pirlo was among the absentees as coach Antonio Conte named a provisional 28-man squad today for a pre-Euro 2016 training camp with several stars absent with cup finals to play.

The 46-year-old Conte will take over as Chelsea manager after the June 10-July 10 tournament in France in which Italy face Ireland, Belgium and Sweden in Group E.

Conte, who earlier today was cleared of sporting fraud charges relating to a match-fixing affair while he was coach of Serie B team Siena in 2011, can now focus on the Azzurri although questions remain over his final 23-man squad.

Italy players yet to play cup finals — namely those with Juventus, AC Milan, Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United — were left out of the reckoning altogether, meaning Conte’s final squad on 31 May could look very different.

Defender Leonardo Bonucci was the only Juventus player included for the first training camp beginning Wednesday at Coverciano near Florence because he is suspended for the Italian Cup final against AC Milan on 21 May.

With midfielders Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) and Marco Verratti (PSG) ruled out through serious injury, there is a place for Roma’s tough-tackling defensive midfielder Daniele de Rossi.

World Cup winner Pirlo, 36, who had come out of retirement following Italy’s first-round exit from the 2014 World Cup, was a notable, although not a surprise, absentee.

Since his move from Juventus to New York City, Pirlo has fallen out of favour amid reports he is lacking the required fitness. It now looks increasingly unlikely he will play at Euro 2016.

Conte has rewarded Domenico Berardi for a string of fine goal-scoring performances with Serie A minnows Sassuolo, who pipped AC Milan to sixth place and a possible spot in next season’s Europa League.

Toronto striker Sebastian Giovinco, who played under Conte at Juventus, has been recalled while Sunderland’s Fabio Borini, who featured at Euro 2012 without playing a game, has been given the nod by Conte for the first time.

Fabio Borini has impressed Conte. PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Conte called up seven players who had never graced the Italy squad in Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello, Genoa defender Armando Izzo, Empoli defender Lorenzo Tonelli, midfielders Marco Benassi (Torino), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Davide Zappacosta (Torino) and Genoa striker Leonardo Pavoletti.

Three other players, other than Borini, return to the fray in goalkeepers Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Federico Marchetti (Lazio) and West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna.

Among the notable absentees due to cup duty are goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), defenders Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini (both Juventus), Luca Antonelli (Milan), midfielders Thiago Motta (PSG) and Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu (PSG) and Manchester United fullback Matteo Darmian.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham/ENG), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli)

Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino)

Forwards: Fabio Borini (Sunderland/ENG), Citadin Martins Eder (Inter Milan), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton/ENG).

© – AFP 2016

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    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
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    Oct 12th 2017, 3:38 PM

    No interest in the game now but was a Newcastle fan at the time and have to say it’s hilarious to hear Shearer say that as you could practically see him shaking when Keane squared up to him.

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Oct 12th 2017, 3:43 PM

    @Guybrush Threepwood: Fun times

    its boring now

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Oct 12th 2017, 5:08 PM

    @Anton Friendo: Yeah that type of game died out in the absence of the likes of Keane, Gatusso, De Jong etc. unfortunately..

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    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
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    Oct 12th 2017, 5:27 PM

    @Guybrush Threepwood: It was the norm in school to support English soccer. Enlightenment happens only when you leave the education system.

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    Mute Niall Browne
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    Oct 12th 2017, 4:22 PM

    If you read craig bellamys autobiography, he played in that game , he said Shearer was the last one off the pitch at the end of the game because he knew Keane was waiting for him

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    Mute Gerry Ivie
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    Oct 12th 2017, 7:31 PM

    @Niall Browne: Bellamy is going to say that isn’t he? Seeing as Shearer battered him in Dawson St when they were over here. Bad mouthed him too when he thought a transfer away from St James Park was happening. Nearly shit himself when it fell through and he had to show up there for training.

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    Mute Niall
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    Oct 12th 2017, 9:25 PM

    @Gerry Ivie: it was Keith Gillespie that Shearer punched in Dublin.

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    Mute James Murphy
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    Oct 12th 2017, 6:03 PM

    Probably a lot bias here. Both great players and true warriors representing their respective teams. Love Keane but also like Shearer for being a great number 9. Hope Kane breaks his record though!

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    Mute Gustave H
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    Oct 12th 2017, 8:33 PM

    Grown ups arguing about one man’s ability to beat up another when the know neither and have never seen either actually fight.

    The level of cringe is spine tingling.

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    Mute Eoin Long
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    Oct 12th 2017, 11:38 PM

    @Gustave H: I don’t think anyone is arguing here. Everyone seems to be in agreement that Shearer looked genuinely afraid of Keane during that particular confrontation. Which was understandable to an extent, because Keane’s lack of self control and reckless abandon was rarely more evident than during that game.

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Oct 12th 2017, 4:30 PM

    Funny considering that you could visibly see the point when Shearer sh*t himself at the time

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    Mute Stonerpug
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    Oct 12th 2017, 3:38 PM

    You wouldn’t have had it in you Alan. Stick to throwing balls at him from a safe distance you coward.

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    Mute The Bloody Nine
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    Oct 12th 2017, 4:50 PM

    @Stonerpug: it was Keane who threw the ball as well as the punch. Shearer did the smart thing and stood there while Roy had a meltdown and got himself sent off in the last minute for no reason.

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    Mute O'Brien Michael
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    Oct 12th 2017, 10:58 PM

    @The Bloody Nine: You are 100% Correct.Shearer was too smart for that nonsense

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