Marcello Lippi warns Amauri will be the last Oriundo to be considered for Italy, closing the floodgates on Felipe, Thiago Motta and Rodrigo Taddei.
The Azzurri boss caused controversy when he suggested Amauri would be welcomed once his Italian citizenship process is completed, but now several Serie A stars are eager to switch allegiance.
“It is wonderful that so many players have Italy ambitions, but we are focusing only on the Italians, who are numerous and talented,” Lippi told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Every week I seem to hear a new name ready to come forward.”
The list of potential Oriundi is growing, as after Genoa’s Thiago Motta and Rodrigo Taddei of Roma, another Brazilian is pushing for Azzurri consideration.
“I would accept immediately,” smiled Udinese defender Felipe. “I was born in Brazil, but arrived in Italy aged 15. I owe a great deal to this country, as a player and as a man.”
There is already an Oriundo in the squad, as Argentine Mauro Camoranesi was nationalised and helped win the 2006 World Cup.
Lippi will name his squad for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and the Republic of Ireland on Sunday afternoon.
Amauri will not be among them, as he is still awaiting his passport. With no Italian heritage, he can only get citizenship through his Brazilian wife, who gained her own passport this month.
Italy travel to Podgorica for the qualifier with Montenegro on Saturday March 28 and then welcome Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland to Bari’s Stadio San Nicola on Wednesday April 1.
|
Having problems with message search?
Fill out this form to ensure your group is one of the first to be migrated to the new message search system.
Offline 
Send Email