The nominees for the Italian Association of Footballers’ Calcio Oscars 2006-07 have been announced.

The awards are voted for by the players of Serie A and will be presented at a ceremony in Milan on January 28, 2008.

World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro won Best Overall Player, Best Italian Footballer and Best Defender last year, but this time around no one player is set to dominate.

Milan’s Andrea Pirlo will battle Roma duo Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi for the Best Italian Player prize, while Ballon d’Or favourites Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic compete for Best Foreign Player along with Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu.

Gigi Buffon isn’t eligible for Best Goalkeeper as he was banished to Serie B with Juventus.

The Azzurri shot-stopper has won for five of the last six seasons and Fiorentina’s Sebastien Frey, Inter’s Julio Cesar and ex-Lazio veteran Angelo Peruzzi will look to take advantage.

Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo and Giampaolo Pazzini are up for Bes ... Read more »

Roberto Donadoni insists that he hasn’t shut out Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta, but veteran boss Carlo Mazzone remains cynical.

Italy secured their place at Euro 2008 with a dramatic win over Scotland on Saturday and Coach Donadoni breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

The ex-Livorno tactician pinned his hopes on a new-look side without Totti and Nesta, but he is adamant that he never closed the door on either star.

“I did everything possible,” Donadoni told Radio Radio TV.

“How can I force them to return to the national side if they aren’t motivated? It would be counterproductive.

“If they change their minds I would listen to them, but certain choices deserve to be respected.”

However, Mazzone believes that Donadoni wouldn’t pick Totti for the wrong reasons and hit out at the Press’ role in Er Pupone’s retirement from international football.

“What do I think when people say that Donadoni wouldn’t call up Totti because he owes something to the n ... Read more »