Argentina
The most disappointing was, of course, Diego Armando Maradona's list. The man forever remembered alongside Pele as the world's greatest footballer left out Inter Milan's Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso, despite the duo being instrumental in the team's triumph in the Champions League.
The coach's reasoning is that they don't fit into his style of play and the 4-4-2 system he wishes to employ. Maradona has also said that his team would never play the way Inter played against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals. Against Barcelona, Zanetti (36) defied his age to nullify the constant threat of one of the world's best footballers on earth, Lionel Messi, never allowing the Argentine magician any space to weave his magic. Cambiasso's link-up play with teammate Wesley Sneijder while guiding the attack helped Inter register a convincing victory over the 2009 champion in the first-leg at the San Siro.
Both players have shown that they still have the form and fitness — physical and mental — needed to marshal an Argentine side still in desperate search of direction.
The other notable exclusions were Gabriel Milito of Barcelona and Fernando Gago of Real Madrid. Juan Roman Riquelme, who quit the national squad after Maradona publicly criticised him, also missed out. The ageing Juan Sebastian Veron, according to the coach, is his representative on the pitch and the director of the play. Bemusing, really!
France
The next surprising list came from France coach Raymond Domenech who had no place for Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri in the squad. If Benzema has been booted out due to his poor form at Real Madrid, what is the logic behind including Thierry Henry who simply warmed the benches for most part of the season for Barcelona? Nasri's exclusion is also a bit of a mystery. The French winger has been one of the stand-out performers during 2009-10 for the Gunners. Nasri is far better than Abou Diaby any day.
Italy
Italy's Marcello Lippi, the World Cup winning coach, neglected the Serie 'A' players, leaving out the country's four best strikers —Fabrizio Miccoli, Antonio Cassano, Francesco Totti and Mario Balotelli — and picking an average bunch of forwards. The exclusion of Fabio Grosso was still a surprise as he was one of the trusted players of the coach. “I don't make the Italy squad based on debts of merit because I cannot choose based on what happened in the past,” Lippi had said.
England
The brutal exclusion of the lot was Theo Walcott's. The 21-year-old Arsenal winger, who had been widely expected to make the cut along with Aaron Lennon, missed out to Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Philips. The reason, according to the coach, is Wright Philips can also play from the left. He was picked from obscurity by Sven-Goran Eriksson, then England's head coach, four years ago and now he was ditched by Capello when he was doing well after coming back from injury.
Brazil
And finally the coach of Brazil, Dunga. He ignored the Milan duo of Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato, along with Adriano and the Brazilian wunderkind Neymar. He has, instead, pinned his hopes on the inconsistent foursome of Robinho, Luis Fabiano, Nilmar and Grafite up front.
The shadows will probably only lengthen when they pick the final eleven.
