Giampaolo Ventura insists he never planned to bring on Daniele De Rossi against Sweden and that Mario Balotelli ‘would’ve been part of Italy’s World Cup squad’.

De Rossi famously expressed his fury after he was asked to warm up, with Italy trailing Sweden in their World Cup playoff, while Balotelli did not make a single appearance for the Azzurri under Ventura.

Giampaolo Ventura insists he never planned to bring on Daniele De Rossi against Sweden and that Mario Balotelli ‘would’ve been part of Italy’s World Cup squad’.

De Rossi famously expressed his fury after he was asked to warm up, with Italy trailing Sweden in their World Cup playoff, while Balotelli did not make a single appearance for the Azzurri under Ventura.

“I made some assessments based on Sweden’s tactical attitude,” the 70-year-old continued to Gazzetta dello Sport.

“However, rest assured that if Insigne had started, the problem would have been El Shaarawy or someone else…

“Daniele wouldn’t have come on. I hadn’t given any provisions in this regard, but this was also used to dump everything on me.

“Balotelli? He would’ve been part of the Italy squad I had in mind for the World Cup… He would’ve been called up for the friendlies against Argentina and England.

“No Italy on the TV? I feel huge regret inside of me… I know how much the fans, especially or only they, cared.

“I cared for them as much as they did for us. I haven’t cried in front of the TV, but what I’ve felt inside, I keep feeling strongly every day and every night.

“I’m not depressed, I’m mad as hell. I’m ready to bounce back like a spring and I can’t wait to get back into football with a club.

“I’ve listened to so many lies and inventions, I’m tired of being Italy’s punching bag.

“I have 35 years’ experience in football to speak for myself, yet in three months I went from ‘football teacher’ to ‘Ventura eats children’. You see everything in football, but this is too much.”

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