20.05.2008 16:33
Zambrotta off to Euro 2008
www.fcbarcelona.cat
The pre-selection for the Italian squad for Euro 2008 was announced on Tuesday and Gianluca Zambrotta is one of the names on the list, the eighth Barça player to get a call up for the competition that starts on June 7.
Italian manager Roberto Donadoni has named 24 players, but one of these will be displaced when he
announces the definitive list to UEFA on May 28. Zambrotta is in the squad for now, but there is
still a small chance that he may eventually miss out on the trip to Austria and Switzerland.
Same for Thuram, Abidal and Henry
He is in the same boat as the three French players named by Raymond
Domenech, Thuram, Abidal and Henry. All three form part of an initial list of 30 men, but only 23
will be allowed in the final squad, so their presence is not yet fully confirmed.
Portugal and Spain make it count
But the Spanish and Portuguese squads are the final ones, so Deco, Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta
will definitely be competing for the Henri Delaunay trophy.
Italy and France to meet again
With Zambrotta’s place as good as confirmed, there is set to be a clash of Barça players when
Italy and France renew rivalries in June in Group C. Spain and Portugal, the other nations with
direct Barça interest, however, are in separate groups.