West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna feels ‘ignored by Italy CT Roberto Mancini. ‘There’s no meritocracy’.
The 33-year-old centre-back, capped 13 times by the Azzurri, was not called up by the former Manchester City coach and admitted he was ‘surprised and embittered’ by being left out.
West Ham finished sixth in the Premier League and Ogbonna felt his performances with the Irons was enough to secure him a place in the European Championship.
“The CT ignored me, there’s no meritocracy,” Mancini told Corriere della Sera.
“It was my best season, after 30, a defender enters his best season.
“I’m amazed and embittered. Maybe he didn’t take into consideration the championship West Ham had, but we have fought until the end with Jorginho and [Emerson] Palmieri’s Chelsea, who proved not to be just any team.
“In sport, meritocracy must prevail and this time, in my opinion, it didn’t.”