Casiraghi must name 18 players for the games in Beijing, and 15 of these must have been born after January 1, 1985. However he is also allowed to include three over-aged players, and the ex-Juventus and Lazio star has his eyes on some big names.

"It'll depend on the choices Roberto Donadoni makes for the European Championships," said Casiraghi. "The priority will have to go to the 1984 players, like Alberto Aquilani and Giorgio Chiellini [who helped us qualify for the Olympics]. "But that's not excluding some national team heroes - Pippo Inzaghi and Alex Del Piero. I'd also like Gigi Buffon and Luca Toni."

Aquilani, Chiellini, Buffon and Toni seem virtual certainties to be called by Donadoni for June’s European Championships in Austria and Switzerland. However the places of Del Piero and Inzaghi, in particular the latter, are less certain, leading to the possibility of the veterans playing in Beijing this August. Other high-profile possibilities, although unlikely, are Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta, who will not play at Euro 2008, due to their international retirements.