Reports: Amauri's Italy Hopes Dashed

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Amauri Inter-Juventus Serie A (Grazia Neri)

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Juventus striker Amauri has had his hopes of wearing the Italy shirt dashed; reports claim he will not be given Italian citizenship because his wife's stay in the peninsula doesn't meet the criteria required.

Reports in Italy have been rife with speculation regarding Amauri's international future and it seems as if he will be forced to represent the country of his birth - Brazil - whether he likes it or not.

Il Messagero claims Amauri's wife Cynthia Cosini Valaderes cannot prove she has been an Italian resident for the last ten years.

Current Italian legislation states that a person has to be residing in the country for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship.

Authorities have only a four year record. The gap is between 1998 and 2004 and it's these years where the discrepancies lie. A consecutive 10 year residence must be proved, and early indications suggest this is not the case, as Amauri's wife has been unable to provide vital documentation which proves she has been living in Italy consistently over the last decade.

All's Not Lost?

However, the latest reports from Italy suggest a mistake could have been made by authorities in Sicily.

Speculation is pointing towards an error in sending some of the missing paper work to Rome.

As things stand, Amauri is moving further away from a call up with La Nazionale.

Of course, things will change if Mrs Amauri can prove her whereabouts during the years which are missing from the jigsaw.

Amauri's new passport was supposed to arrive this month, leading to a possible call up by Italy coach Marcello Lippi for the friendly against Brazil. This is now highly unlikely.

-- Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com