Pazzini in, Cassano out as Prandelli names squad

AC Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini was rewarded for his hat-trick heroics on Saturday with selection to Cesare Prandelli’s Italy squad to face Bulgaria and Malta next week. Prandelli announced his 25-man squad on Sunday, with Pazzini being called up a day after a 3-1 win at Bologna gave the Rossoneri their first league win of the season. Italy face Bulgaria in Sofia on Friday in their first qualifier for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil and host Malta in Modena four days later. Also in Group B are Denmark, the Czech Republic and Armenia. There was no place, however, for striker Antonio Cassano, who left Milan to join city rivals Inter last week in a deal that took former Inter man Pazzini the other way.