Euro 2012: Why Italy Should Call Up Antonio Di Natale

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at Internationaled.org

Published: April 4, 2012

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Antonio Di Natale of Udinese has been the top goal scorer in Serie A the past two seasons, and is currently second in the charts this campaign.

Despite his success on the club level, the striker has not been capped for Italy since the 2010 World Cup.

Manager Cesare Prandelli, who took the reigns of the national team after Italy flamed out of South Africa, has preferred younger strikers to the veteran Di Natale. With Euro 2012 only two months away, and injuries to key attackers looming over the team, this could change.

Football Italia reports that Prandelli is considering Di Natale for the squad, having recently visited Udine to request his release for a series of late April training sessions.

“He is a player who is enjoying an extraordinary run of consistent form," Prandelli told Udinese Channel according to the report, adding that he is considering Di Natale "very strongly."

Prandelli would be wise to pursue this course. Di Natale has scored 76 league goals since the start of the 2009/10 season, and has helped make Udinese one of Serie A's better squads. He thus represents a serious goal scoring option for a team that could be in need of one. 

One of Italy's major storylines heading into the Euros will be the health of strikers Antonio Cassano and Giuseppe Rossi, who have been out for months. While both players have reportedly returned to training recently, their statuses remain in doubt. 

Possible replacements include Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Alessandro Matri, who all have talent, yet also have minimal international experience.



At 34, Di Natale would bring a welcomed veteran presence to the position, while also bringing the versatility to play as a central striker, or on the outside if needed.

It should be said that Prandelli's efforts to infuse youth into the squad should be applauded, especially considering how an old ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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