West Ham United centre-back Angelo Ogbonna has admitted that he is "amazed and bitter" at being left out of the Italy squad for the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
The 33-year-old enjoyed an impressive campaign for David Moyes's side, featuring 28 times in the Premier League and scoring three goals in the Hammers' surge towards European football next season.
However, Ogbonna did miss out on Italy's World Cup qualifying fixtures in March due to injury and it seems to have cost the defender a place in the squad for this summer's championships.
Speaking to Italian publication Corriere della Sera, Ogbonna said: "I am very amazed and also bitter, perhaps he [Roberto Mancini] did not take into consideration the West Ham championship.
"We fought until the end for the Champions League qualification with Jorginho and [Emerson] Palmieri's Chelsea, who finished higher, but we showed that we can beat any team.
"In sport, meritocracy must prevail, based on the championship in which one plays, on the statistics, on the value of the player. And this time, in my opinion, it did not prevail."
Ogbonna has 13 caps for Italy after making his senior international debut in 2011.
Sammy Wynne
