Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Cristian Volpato has made a shock, 11th-hour decision to switch international allegiances, choosing Australia over Italy just days before the Socceroos squad is finalised on the eve of the World Cup.
Football Australia made the announcement on Friday evening, saying it had lodged paperwork with FIFA to ratify the Sydney-born Volpato’s decision after he represented Italy at a youth level. He will now join the Socceroos camp in Los Angeles, with Australia required to name its 26-man squad for the World Cup by Monday.
“Football Australia has received a release letter from the Italian Football Federation. Once cleared, Volpato will be eligible to officially represent the Socceroos,” Football Australia said in a statement.
The 22-year-old Volpato, who plays club football in Italy for Serie A side Sassuolo, turned down a spot in Graham Arnold’s Australian squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Current Socceroos coach Tony Popovic visited Volpato in February, after the attacking midfielder indicated he was open to representing Australia.
“There were no ultimatums or any pressure. It was a discussion,” Popovic said at the time.
“And if he wants to play for Australia, whether it’s [in] three months, six months, a year – they’re young men, you have to respect the decisions they have to make.
“He’s a quality young player that has a lot of potential. He hasn’t played a lot of football … but he has potential, and now that he’s indicated he’s open to the idea, the rest is just for him to decide. We’ll see whether that happens or doesn’t.”
The trip appeared to have been in vain. A month later Volpato told reporters he was “waiting for Italy”.
Popovic, who declared he would “never sell the shirt” to an unsure player when he took on the national job, then refused to say if he would consider selecting Volpato again.
“If that’s the choice he’s made, then I wish him well,” Popovic said in March. “You have to want to play for the country – and if you do, then you will accept whatever is put in front of you and whatever journey it takes to get to that level, if you even get there, because that’s where you want to be. I think it’s quite simple.”
The Socceroos play World Cup co-hosts Mexico in front of 60,000 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Sunday (AEST), with Popovic required to finalise his 26-man squad straight after. Volpato’s last-minute arrival puts the current squad at 30 players, but his last-minute arrival into the national set up on the eve of the tournament means he appears to be a certainty for the World Cup.
Born and raised in Sydney, Volpato passed through the academies of both Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers before popping up unexpectedly at AS Roma, making his debut in the 2021-22 season as a teenager under Jose Mourinho while playing for Italy at under-19 and under-20 level.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Nick Ralston is the deputy editor and investigations editor for The Sydney Morning Herald. He has previously spent time as news editor, justice editor and world editor.Connect via X or email.
