World cup 2010 news

Juventus defender Fabio Grosso was the shock victim as Italy coach Marcello Lippi cut two players from his pre-FIFA World Cup squad on Tuesday.

The 32 coaches named their preliminary World Cup squads just a week ago. Most chose 30 players, and don’t need to name their final 23 man squads until June 1st. However, like over-eager lumberjacks, a couple of those coaches have started making cuts early.

Yesterday France coach Raymond Domenech reduced his 30 to 24, with Marseille’s Hatem Ben Arfa being the most high profile player to get the chop. I imagine Ben Arfa and the five other players feel like those singers who get past the early stage of American Idol (where they separate the crazies from the proper singers) but then get voted off at the first proper hurdle. So close, and yet so far.

Why make the cuts so soon? Could be that Domenech himself was officially cut this weekend, in a fashion, with the FFF confirming that Laurent Blanc will be Les Bleus boss post-World Cup 2010. So maybe this was RayRay’s way of taking back the headlines?

Marcello Lippi’s reductions were arguably even harsher. The Italy coach picked out just two players from his original 30 man squad and told then to pack their bags and go home. The unlucky pair were young Udinese trequartista (on loan at Juventus this past season) Antonio Candreva and not so young Juventus left back Fabio Grosso.

Grosso was absolutely integral to Italy’s 2006 World Cup win under Lippi. As well as having an all around impressive tournament, Grosso earned that controversial penalty against Australia to win the game in the second round, scored that curling 119th minute goal against Germany in the semi-final and – last but not least – scored the trophy-winning spot kick in the World Cup final itself. He’s a hero. So you could argue that – more than anyone – the now 32 year old Grosso deserves another go at the World Cup. Marcello Lippi disagrees:

“It was tough for me to call him and say he was cut from the team to go to South Africa, as it was tough to exclude 14 of the 23 that were in Germany. But I had to do it,” he revealed in a press conference.

“I told everybody that I won’t take someone to South Africa just because I am grateful for winning the World Cup in 2006.”

Which actually makes a lot of sense. It’s been four years since 2006, and Grosso isn’t 28 anymore. But still, got to feel bad for the guy. Unless you’re Australian maybe.