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What's the story?
Juventus midfielder Emre Can has expressed his anger over Maurizio Sarri's decision to omit him from Bianconeri's official Champions League squad and claimed that he was promised European football in return for his stay at the club before the transfer window came to a close.
In case you didn't know...
According to UEFA Champions League rules, all clubs are required to select homegrown players between the ages of 15-18, as well as four players from their academy.
Given that Carlo Pinsoglio is the only academy-trained player in the squad, Sarri could only name 22 senior players for the competition's group stages.
Can, who joined Juventus from Liverpool for a free transfer in the summer of 2018, made 37 appearances for the Old Lady last season under Massimiliano Allegri, during which he scored four goals.
The German midfielder has now seen his place in the squad come under threat due to the arrivals of Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot this summer.
The heart of the matter
Speaking of the snub, Can said (via The Guardian), "The fact that I am not in the Champions League squad is extremely shocking for me, mainly because I was promised something different last week. There were talks with other clubs [before the transfer window closed] and one of the conditions for me to stay was to be part of the Champions League squad."
The midfielder appeared to be angry at the way the decision was made as well, adding, "On Tuesday they phoned me and told me, in a conversation that didn’t even last a minute, that I was not on the list and they didn’t give an explanation."
"That does make me angry and furious because I think that I played well last season, above all in the Champions League. I really can’t understand this and will now see what I decide to do from here and I will seek talks with the club next week."
What's next?
Together with Mario Mandzukic and Giorgio Chiellini, who have also been left out of the squad, Can will miss Juventus' group stage clashes against Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lokomotiv Moscow in the weeks to come.
