Giacomo Calò’s agent Vincenzo Pisacane criticised Roberto Mancini after the Frosinone midfielder was left out of Italy’s 31-man squad for the Nations League games against France and Belgium.
Italy’s squad
Mancini named the squad on Thursday for Italy’s game against France at San Siro on 12 November and the match against Belgium in Brussels.
He selected 10 midfielders, including first call-ups for Como’s Riccardo Cassano and Parma’s Simone Lontani.
Calò’s form
Calò is 29 years old and is in his first top-flight campaign. He has scored five league goals, including goals in four consecutive games.
Frosinone were promoted last season, with Calò contributing 10 goals and 15 assists. They sit sixth in the table, ahead of Juventus and Napoli.
Pisacane on the omission
Pisacane told TuttoMercatoWeb: “It was strange not to see him in Roberto Mancini’s squad. I know Mancini, and I know he takes these things into account.”
He added: “If he were 34 or 35, I could have understood it, but he’s 29.”
Pisacane said: “The players Mancini called up are all very strong, but I don’t think any of them have Calò’s numbers at the moment. That’s why it would have been right to call him up. I hope yesterday’s omission isn’t the death of meritocracy and that Giacomo can be called up later if he keeps this up. Otherwise, it means there’s no logic to the national team call-ups.”
Frosinone and the future
Pisacane said: “There was very strong interest from Sampdoria at one point, but Calò always wanted to stay, and the club itself stood in the way and tied him down.”
He also said: “I can say that a lot of Serie A clubs I had called before have got back in touch to tell me, ‘What a mistake I made not listening to you.’ That’s already important. There will be time to talk about the market and the future, but right now Giacomo is 100% focused on Frosinone.”
Pisacane said Massimiliano Alvini previously worked with Calò at Cosenza. He said: “His relationship with Alvini is wonderful. Both he and director Castagnini really wanted him last year and did everything to sign him, and he’s fully repaying that trust.”
Pisacane added: “Giacomo is calm, though, and even more focused and motivated for the game against Cagliari.”
