Prandelli explains Gilardino snub

Cesare Prandelli has revealed that he dropped Alberto Gilardino from his Italy squad because he violated the code of ethics.

Italy coach justifies exclusion of striker

Italy national team coach Cesare Prandelli has revealed that he dropped striker Alberto Gilardino from this month's Euro 2012 qualifiers because he violated the code of ethics. The Fiorentina forward was left out of the squad for games against the Faroe Islands and Slovenia in the first week of September. Italy won both those games 1-0 to qualify for the Euro 2012 finals. Prandelli introduced the code last year with midfielder Daniele De Rossi already sitting out one match for the European giants following his violent conduct during a game for Roma. The Italy coach, though, has defended his policy and explaining Gilardino's exclusion said: "When he was with the Nazionale last time, Alberto did not seem relaxed. "He talked about his relationship with his club during a very important moment for Italy's campaign. "We created this code of ethics and it must be observed when coming to wear the Azzurri jersey." Gilardino had been reportedly interested in leaving Fiorentina during the summer but the Serie A club eventually took him off the transfer list.