Mario Balotelli returns to the Italian national team
Through the official website of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Italy's new coach, Roberto Mancini, announced his first squad while leading the Gli Azzurri trials with Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands next month.
Of the 30 players summoned, the biggest surprise of course comes in the recall of "The Naughty Boy", Mario Balotelli, for the first time since the 2014 World Cup earlier.
The calling is actually fair, because besides playing awesome with Nice in the last two seasons, 27-year player was known as the golden boy Roberto Mancini at club level.
In addition to Balotelli, the comeback was also made by Juventus vice captain Claudio Marchisio, who has never again defended Gli Azzurri since suffering a severe injury ahead of Euro 2016.
Mancini also presented another surprise by calling five new faces. They are Mattia Caldara, Emerson Palmieri, Rolando Mandragora, Daniele Baselli, and Domenico Berardi.
Here's a list of 30 players called Mancini in his first chance to deal with La Nazionale:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);
Defender Leonardo Bonucci (Milan), Mattia Caldara (Atalanta), Domenico Criscito (Zenit), Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter), Mattia De Sciglio (Juventus), Emerson Palmieri Dos Santos (Chelsea), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Daniele Rugani (Juventus), Davide Zappacosta (Chelsea);
Midfield: Daniele Baselli (Torino), Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), Bryan Cristante (Atalanta), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Jorginho (Napoli), Rolando Mandragora (Crotone), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma);
Striker: Mario Balotelli (Nice), Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Matteo Politano (Sassuolo) Simone Verdi (Bologna), Simone Zaza (Valencia)