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Sports

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says Giuseppe Rossi always knew he wasn't in World Cup squad

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    ADDS THE NAMES OF THE PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS Italian national soccer team pose with the official team suits, at the Coverciano center, near Florence, Italy, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Front row, from left, sitting, Mattia De Sciglio, Marco Verratti, Antonio Cassano, Salvatore Sirigu, Gianluigi Buffon, Mattia Perin, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and Alberto Aquilani. Center row, from left, Ignazio Abate, Alessio Cerci, Claudio Marchisio, president of the Italian soccer federation Giancarlo Abete, coach Cesare Prandelli, vice-president of the Italian Soccer Federation Demetrio Albertini, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Candreva. Third row, from left, Marco Parolo, Leonardo Bonucci, Thiago Motta, Mario Balotelli, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Gabriel Paletta, Matteo Darmian and Andrea Ranocchia. (AP Photo/Fabrizio Giovannozzi) (The Associated Press)

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    ADDS THE NAMES OF THE PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS Italian national soccer team pose with the official team jersey, at the Coverciano center, near Florence, Italy, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Front row, from left, sitting, Mattia De Sciglio, Marco Verratti, Antonio Cassano, Salvatore Sirigu, Gianluigi Buffon, Mattia Perin, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and Alberto Aquilani. Center row, from left, Ignazio Abate, Alessio Cerci, Claudio Marchisio, president of the Italian soccer federation Giancarlo Abete, coach Cesare Prandelli, vice-president of the Italian Soccer Federation Demetrio Albertini, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Candreva. Third row, from left, Marco Parolo, Leonardo Bonucci, Thiago Motta, Mario Balotelli, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Gabriel Paletta, Matteo Darmian and Andrea Ranocchia. (AP Photo/Fabrizio Giovannozzi) (The Associated Press)

MILAN – Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says Giuseppe Rossi always knew he would not be going to the World Cup and that the United States-born forward almost wasn't included in the provisional squad.

Speaking for the first time since revealing his 23-man squad, Prandelli explains he had been clear with Rossi since meeting with the forward in early May, shortly after his comeback from a four-month injury layoff.

On Tuesday, Prandelli says "I was going with the intention to tell him he wasn't in the 30. Then I understood that it could be a message for everyone. I told him that moment that he wasn't in the 23...I repeated it twice."

Prandelli adds "It would have been easy to pick him, but it would have been too much of a risk."