Mario Balotelli Omitted from Italy Squad, Manager Antonio Conte Defends Decision

Liverpool's Mario Balotelli has once again been left out of Antonio Conte's Italy squad for the team's Euro 2016 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Malta, and Conte has come forward to defend his decision not to select the controversial forward.     

As reported by Sky Sports, the former Juventus manager explained he wants the striker to settle into his new situation first before selecting him again:

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Mario has started a new path. It's not an easy one and I believe he must be given the necessary time to adapt at Liverpool. We are following him just as we monitor all Italians that play abroad. I make selections not exclusions, which is something completely different.

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Conte's start to his tenure as manager of the Azzurri was flawless, with decisive wins against the Netherlands and Norway. He has several in-form strikers at his disposal, including Borussia Dortmund's Ciro Immobile and Sassuolo's Simone Zaza, arguably Italy's best player on Matchday 1 of qualifiers.

Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press

Balotelli has scored just a single goal this season, per WhoScored.com, so Conte's decision not to call him up is perhaps understandable.

One forward who will be travelling back to Italy and potentially making his debut for the team is Southampton's Graziano Pelle. The Premier League newcomer has been in excellent form so far, and Conte told reporters he's interested to learn more:

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Graziano represents what I've always said. Meritocracy leads to a place in the national team for a player that in two years has scored 50 goals. Today he is becoming a star in the Premier League league after an adventure in Holland. I am curious to see him from close range in order to understand if he can help us. He deserved this call up from all points of view.

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Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe shared this shot of the 29-year-old training with the Squadra:

The Sport Bible's Liam believes the fact Pelle made the squad and Balotelli hasn't tells fans everything they need to know about how Conte feels about the Reds' forward:

Conte made his fame as a motivational manager with Juventus, often going against conventional wisdom by selecting in-form players over established stars. Fans begged him to stop fielding the likes of Simone Padoin, but in the end, Conte's tactics worked to the tune of three consecutive titles.

Italy looked phenomenal against the Netherlands and impressed against Norway, as Conte was immediately hailed for his positive impact by the Italian press.

He's too good of a manager to have some kind of personal vendetta against Balotelli, who is still the country's most talented forward when his form doesn't elude him. If he can prove his value for Liverpool in the coming months, he'll find his way back to the Azzurri soon enough.

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