Defending Champions Italy Cut Borriello, Rossi From Final World Cup Roster

The defending world champions have finalized their squad for South Africa, with Villareal’s Guiseppe Rossi and Milan’s Marco Borriello being the most prominent of the Azzurri’s cuts.

Marco Lippi delayed naming his team to get an assessment of a training ground injury to Mauro Camoranesi’s left knee. The midfielder suffered the injury in training on Tuesday. Ultimately, the midfielder was included in the final, 23-man squad.

Amongst those that did not make the team were goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, defender Mattia Bassani and midfielder Andrea Cossu.

But the biggest names left-off were Rossi and Borriello, the losers in a tight race for what were ultimately five forward spots. In those positions, Lippi has brought back 2006 squad members Alberto Gilardino and Vincenzo Iaquinta, augmenting them with Fabio Quagliarella, Giampaolo Pazzini and Serie A’s leading goal scorer, Antonio Di Natale. Italian media had speculated, during the close of the Serie A season, that Pazzini and Rossi were in a fight for the last forward position, with Pazzini’s strong finish (leading Sampdoria into Champions League qualifying) possibly winning-out.

In midfield, Italy brings back Camoranesi, Daniele De Rossi, Gennaro Gattuso, and Andrea Pirlo. They will be joined by Claudio Marchisio, Riccardo Montolivo, Angelo Palombo and Simone Pepe.

Along the back, captain Fabio Cannavaro returns, as does right back Gianluca Zambrotta. Giorgio Chiellini will be heavily relied upon in the middle of defense, with Salvatore Bocchetti, Leonardo Bonucci, Domenico Criscito and Christian Maggio rounding out the group.

Goalkeeping is Italy’s strongest position thanks to Gianluigi Buffon, who makes his fourth World Cup squad. He will start in front of Federico Marchetti and Morgan De Sanctis.

Italy is the seeded team in Group F, which also includes Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand. They will open their world title defense on June 16 against the Paraguayans.

Buffon, Gianluigi (Juventus)
De Sanctis, Morgan (Napoli)
Marchetti, Federico (Cagliari)

Bocchetti, Salvatore (Genoa)
Bonucci, Leonardo (Bari)
Cannavaro, Fabio (Juventus)
Chiellini, Giorgio (Juventus)
Criscito, Domenico (Genoa)
Maggio, Christian (Napoli)
Zambrotta, Gianluca (Milan)

Camoranesi, Mauro (Juventus)
De Rossi, Daniele (Roma)
Gattuso, Gennaro (Milan)
Marchisio, Claudio (Juventus)
Montovilo, Riccardo (Fiorentina)
Palombo, Angelo (Sampdoria)
Pepe, Simone (Udinese)
Pirlo, Andrea (Milan)

Di Natale, Antonio (Udinese)
Gilardino, Alberto (Fiorentina)
Iaquinta, Vincenzo (Juventus)
Pazzini, Giampaolo (Sampdoria)
Quagliarella, Fabio (Napoli)