Italy recall Quagliarella over eight years since previous cap

Veteran Sampdoria forward Fabio Quagliarella has been handed an Italy recall after equalling a Serie A record.

Quagliarella, whose last Italy cap came in 2010, is included in Roberto Mancini’s squad for a Coverciano training camp next week.

The 36-year-old has hit 16 goals in 20 appearances this season to top the Serie A scoring charts ahead of Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Quagliarella has found the net in 11 consecutive appearances in the league, levelling the competition record set by Gabriel Batistuta while playing for Fiorentina in 1994.

11 – Fabio #Quagliarella has scored in 11 consecutive Serie A games played, the joint-longest such run in the history of the competition, equalling Gabriel Omar Batistuta (11 in a row in 1994). Olympus. #SampdoriaUdinese pic.twitter.com/vUlIJrxw2N

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 26, 2019

Quagliarella’s reward for his scoring exploits is a place in Mancini’s squad for a camp that will run on February 4 and 5, with the Azzurri preparing for the start of their Euro 2022 qualifying campaign next month.

Mancini has also included AC Milan full-back Andrea Conti, uncapped Torino defender Armando Izzo and Parma duo Alessandro Bastoni and Roberto Inglese.

Scheduling issues mean only Serie A players are in the squad, with Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini included despite his calf problem. Injured club colleague Leonardo Bonucci, however, is absent.

#NationalTeam

The #Azzurri players called up by Head Coach Roberto #Mancini to take part in a training camp at #Coverciano from 4-5 February #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/DFLpfIM3QF

— Italy (@azzurri) February 1, 2019

Italy squad for training camp in full:

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino); Alessandro Bastoni (Parma), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Conti (Milan), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Mattia De Sciglio (Juventus), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Armando Izzo (Torino), Manuel Lazzari (SPAL), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Leonardo Spinazzola (Juventus); Nicolo Barella (Cagliari), Marco Benassi (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Roberto Gagliardini (Inter), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Sassuolo), Sandro Tonali (Brescia), Nicolo Zaniolo (Roma); Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Roberto Inglese (Parma), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Kean (Juventus), Kevin Lasagna (Udinese), Matteo Politano (Inter), Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria).