Hammer Angelo Ogbonna shocked at his Italy national team omission

You win some, you lose some. These days, West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna feels like he’d lost. Despite enjoying a good season with the East London club in the Premier League, the 33-year-old centre-back is surprised and sad after missing out on an international call-up.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini didn’t include Ogbonna in his provisional 28-name squad for the tournament that’s set to begin in ten days. It came as a surprise for the former Juventus defender after he'd been called up by Mancini for last year’s Nations League fixtures.

The Italy-born son of Nigerian parents will watch the tournament from home and he didn’t even try to hide his bafflement.

"I am very amazed and also bitter. Perhaps Mancini did not follow West Ham’s season. We fought until the end for a Champions League spot with Jorginho and Palmieri's Chelsea. They finished higher but I think we showed that we’re good team".

Experienced Juventus’ central defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, along with Lazio’s Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni of Inter, Gianluca Mancini of Roma and Atalanta’s Rafael Toloi have all been included in the squad – and Ogbonna doesn’t believe that it was deserved. To make things worse, coach Mancini didn’t talk to the Hammers’ star.

"No, he didn’t call to explain his decision. Meritocracy must prevail in sport. You have to consider the championship in which one plays, on the statistics, on the value of the player. And this time in my opinion it did not prevail".

Thirty-three lions

Setting his own disappointment aside, Ogbonna is delighted to see the newly-crowned Champions League winner Jorginho included in the Italian squad after his exploits with Chelsea.

"Jorginho has always been underestimated, perhaps for his stature, but he has always made a difference and with former Napoli and Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri he has evolved, he has also become the fulcrum at Chelsea. The Premier League has changed its skin thanks to the many foreign coaches: it is more tactical, more studied. And in this Jorginho has changed many scenarios. For the national team he is fundamental, for his personality and for his ability to read the timing of the match, especially when the rhythms get up."

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Roberto Mancini will remove another two names from his provisional squad by the time Italy faces Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in Rome.

ITALY PROVISIONAL SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris)

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Matteo Politano (Napoli)