No Santacroce In Italy Olympic Squad

Following the disappointing display of the senior side at Euro 2008, the Under-21s will be hoping to restore Italy’s pride when they travel to Beijing next month.

Coach Casiraghi was permitted to include three over-aged players, however he is opted for just one; Lazio’s Tommaso Rocchi. There is no place for Napoli’s Fabiano Santacroce, who is considered by many as Italy’s most promising young defender.

Casiraghi has chosen 22 players for the training camp that starts in Rome this Sunday, while he has named another 15 who can be drafted in before the final squad is announced. Surprisingly Fiorentina's Pablo Osvaldo is only on the standby list.

Provisional Olympic Squad: Abate (Milan), Acquafresca (Cagliari), Bocchetti (Genoa), Candreva (Udinese), Cigarini (Parma), Coda (Udinese), Consigli (Atalanta), Criscito (Genoa), De Ceglie (Juventus), De Silvestri (Lazio), Dessena (Parma), Giovinco (Juventus), Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Motta (Udinese), Nocerino (Palermo), Ranocchia (Arezzo), Rocchi (Lazio), Rossi (Villarreal), Russotto (Treviso), Sirigu (Palermo), Viviano (Brescia)

Standby Players: Alfonso (Venezia), Bassi (Empoli), Curci (Siena), Andreolli (Vicenza), Canini (Cagliari), Marzoratti (Empoli), Pisano (Cagliari), M Rossi (Parma), Bolzoni (Inter), Galloppa (Siena), Guarente (Atalanta), Morosini (Vicenza), Lanzafame (Palermo), Osvaldo (Fiorentina), Pelle’ (AZ Alkmaar)