ROME -- Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini does not like seeing foreign-born players on Italy's national team.
Speaking at a Serie A meeting Monday, Mancini says, ''The Italian national team should be Italian. ... An Italian player deserves to play for the national team while someone who wasn't born in Italy, even if they have relatives, I don't think deserves to.''
Mancini was responding to this weekend's call ups of Sampdoria's Brazilian-born striker Eder and Palermo's Argentine-born midfielder Franco Vazquez to Italy's squad.
Vazquez's mother is Italian while Eder gained citizenship through more distant relatives.
Dozens of foreign-born players - mainly Brazilians and Argentines - have appeared for Italy over the years, highlighted by Omar Sivori and Jose Altafini in the 1960's and Omar Camoranesi during the Azzurri's 2006 World Cup victory.
