Player Talk : Legrottaglie & Zanetti

Legrottaglie & Zanetti Set For Azzurri Call-Ups?

Juventus duo Nicola Legrottaglie and Cristiano Zanetti could be set for recalls to the Italian national team, according to reports in the peninsula.


National team boss Roberto Donadoni was in the stands at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin yesterday to watch Juventus draw 0-0 with Sampdoria.

In the days leading up to the game many believed that Donadoni was attending in order to check the progress of Antonio Cassano, who was eventually ruled out through injury, and Alessandro Del Piero.

However Donadoni was really there to spy on Legrottaglie and Zanetti, who have both been out of the international reckoning for the best part of four years.

There were high hopes for Legrottaglie when he joined Juventus in 2003 from Chievo, however he had a nightmare first year in Turin making mistake after mistake.

After being sent out on loan to Bologna and Siena the 31-year-old returned last summer but was only a bit-part player in the Serie B promotion campaign under Didier Deschamps.

However since coming on as a substitute in the week four match against Roma this term, Legro has finally burst onto the scene and he has been a colossus alongside Giorgio Chiellini at the heart of the defence.

Zanetti has also had a reversal of fortunes and has arguably been Juventus’ best midfielder this season.

The 30-year-old, who was famously Luciano Moggi’s last signing at Juventus has put in some typically gritty displays.

Italy face Portugal in a pre-Euro 2008 warm-up in Zurich on February 6, and it will be interesting to see if Zanetti and Legrottaglie, as well as Del Piero and Cassano, are included in Donadoni’s squad.

goal.com