The Italian football team is full of leaders

Italy coach Marcello Lippi insisted his team is full of born leaders all over the pitch ahead of Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Montenegro in Podgorica.

Lippi was reacting to claims in the Italian press that the world champions lack a player with natural charisma.

“It’s not true that this team doesn’t have a leader, there’s (Gianluigi) Buffon, (Gianluca) Zambrotta, (Fabio) Cannavaro, (Daniele) De Rossi, (Andrea) Pirlo,” he said.

“All those that I have named are intelligent footballers who give their all for the team.

“There are others who aren’t here who are merely roosters in a henhouse.”

That comment was a clear reference to Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano, who once again has been left out of the squad despite excellent club form.

Cassano is an undoubted talent but a wayward one whose temperament and tantrums have held him back in his career, not only at international level but also at his clubs.

Despite his ability he failed to make it at either AS Roma or Real Madrid and he has played only 15 matches for Italy since making his debut in 2003.

“Every coach has his cross to bear, a player with public and press pressure behind him,” added Lippi.

“This doesn’t create a problem for me and I don’t give explanations because they cause more of a palaver than they are worth.”

Lippi also hit out at the Italian press who have been running stories this week about claims from some fans in Bari, where Italy host the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday, that the World Cup winning coach will be jeered for not picking Bari native Cassano.

“What really, really, really annoys me is this climate created by certain newspapers about Wednesday’s match in Bari against Ireland,” he added.

“We will see how they receive me.”

As for Montenegro, Lippi is expecting fired up opponents, particularly after they ran the world champions close in Lecce at the back end of last year.

“For them it will be a party outside the ground and an historic occasion on the pitch. It’s normal that they want to beat the world champions,” said Lippi.

“For our part we just want to demonstrate the difference in abilities of the two teams.

“But we must be careful because, like all Slavs, the Montenegran footballers have good technical ability and play at pace.”

England boss Capello rounds on Redknapp

Fabio Capello suggested Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was guilty of double standards after failing to be as critical of Alan Hutton’s inclusion in the Scotland squad as he was about Ledley King’s call-up for England duty.

Spurs centre-back King was withdrawn on Tuesday from England’s squad for Saturday’s friendly international against Slovakia and next week’s World Cup qualifier with Ukraine.

The 28-year-old Spurs captain does not train with his club between matches because of a chronic knee condition and so was a surprise inclusion in England manager Capello’s 24-man squad.

“It’s pointless. If he plays against Ukraine there is no way he can play on Saturday against Blackburn,” Redknapp said before King’s withdrawal.

However, Scotland manager George Burley has called up Hutton even though the full-back hasn’t played a first-team match for several months because of a foot injury and only recently made his comeback in a reserve fixture.

Hutton is not expected to feature in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier away to the Netherlands but could play against Iceland on Wednesday.

“We followed Ledley King for the last four or five games,” Capello told reporters here on Friday. “He played very well in all the games.

“We put him in the squad. When he was here the England medical staff checked him and the first day the knee was not good,” the Italian added.

“We waited one day to understand and check the knee again. It was the same. After this we decided he can go back home.

“But I have to say something. Mr Redknapp spoke about the England national team. But (Alan) Hutton, the Scottish player, after two months of injury, is in the Scotland squad.

“I don’t understand why he spoke about Ledley King and not about Hutton. Only this. They are different problems for him.

“He (King) played the last game. He was not injured. He played. Now I am happy because I spoke with the player.”

Redknapp, speaking before Hutton played 71 minutes of Monday’s reserve match against West Brom, said: “I spoke to George Burley and he said he definitely wouldn’t play him against Holland. It’s too quick.”

Hutton has repeatedly insisted he is ready for the rigours of international football but Redknapp said: “He has not played a game yet, so I don’t know you can work that out.”

Few question Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney’s suitability for England in terms of fitness and talent. But his temper, which led him into the kind of disciplinary trouble which saw him sent-off against Fulham last weekend remains an issue.

“He is young and sometimes his reactions are not so good, but he’s a good player and man,” Capello said on Friday.

“I spoke to him and sometimes we need to be a little bit aggressive. With him, I hope the level of the aggression will be balanced. Just aggressive, not too much.”

Juve will sign one star in the summer

Juventus chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc said on Wednesday that the Italian giants will sign a star player in the summer.

Juve are currently trailing Inter Milan by seven points in Serie A with only nine games remaining.

Following their elimination from the Champions League by Chelsea earlier this month, club coach Claudio Ranieri said they needed bigger stars to compete for the top honours.

And Blanc has now promised him at least one.

“I’m not talking about the transfer market but what I can tell you is that we will buy a star player,” Frenchman Blanc told investors at a conference in Milan.

“One who can herald a new era of success.”

Juve are not out of the championship race but will need to not lose any more ground on Inter ahead of the pair’s clash in Turin next month.

Were they to win that and reduce the gap between the two to no more than four points, Juve would certainly be in with a chance of claiming their first title since 2003.

“We’ll see what shape we’re in at the direct clash between the two teams,” added Blanc.

“Until it’s mathematically impossible, we’ll keep fighting.”

Bulgaria gives green light to sale of CSKA Sofia

Bulgarian authorities gave the green light on Wednesday to the sale of top Bulgarian football club CSKA Sofia by its Indian owner, businessman Pramod Mittal, to a Bulgarian company.

The country’s competition protection committee said on its website that the “acquisition of 100 percent of CSKA’s shares by the Bulgarian Titan Sport company” will not contravene national anti-monopoly legislation.

The authorisation was necessary for Mittal and Titan Sport to finalise the sale of the club after a corresponding agreement was signed on March 6.

Mittal, who is the younger brother of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, bought the club two years ago. But his spell as club owner was characterised by various financial troubles.

CSKA, who have won the Bulgarian championship 31 times and are the current champions, did not take part in this season’s Champions League after failing to cover their debts and obtain a license.

Krkic not looking to leave Barca

Barcelona youngster Bojan Krkic insists he has no intention of leaving the Camp Nou at the end of the season.

Speculations have suggested that the 18-year-old would be interested in a move away from the club in order to get regular first-team football next season.

“I have never even thought about going, firstly because I have faith in my chances, something that was reaffirmed to me last year, and secondly because I believe that I can compete with the players and that I can play in a team at the level of Barca,” Krkic told Catalunya Radio.

“I am at home because here I have my club, my family, my friends and in no other place would things be so good.

“At Barca, the best team in the world, we will always have the best defenders, the best midfielders and the best forwards, which is key.

“But I am keen to show that players from the youth team are also important. I try to stay away from the stories and ignore them all.”