Italy U-21 Azzurrini return to Rome: Audero is called up

After yesterday’s impressive 2-1 win in Poland with Pellegrini and Benassi goals, the Under-21 National Team have returned to Rome where they play Spain on Monday at the Stadio Olimpico at 21:00 CEST.

In the morning, the players trained in Krakow with warm-down drills for those who played and work on the pitch for the rest. For the match against Spain, Luigi Di Biagio has also decided to call up Juventus goalkeeper Emili Audero who featured yesterday for the Under-20 National Team against Poland and it’s his first call-up the Under-21s.

The match with Spain is particularly interesting as it sees the two most successful Under-21 countries meet (Five European Championships for Italy, four for La Furia Roja) and it will be a rematch of the final four years ago in Israel where Spain won 4-2.

The Stadio Olimpico in Rome will be hosting an Under-21 match for the third time and it’s been over 30 years since the unforgettable first leg of the final between Italy and Spain in October 1986 when the Azzurrini won 2-1 with goals from Gianluca Vialli and Giuseppe Giannini before defeat on penalties in Valladolid in the second leg.

The match at the Olimpico will also provide another opportunity for experimentation with VAR (Video Assistant Referees) in online made in collaboration with Lega Serie A according to FIFA and IFAB protocol. After the technology made its debut in the match between Gian Piero Ventura’s Italy and France in Bari on 1st September, tests were repeated in November for Italy vs. Germany (senior), Italy vs. Denmark (Under-21) in Bergamo and VAR was used in online mode for the first time in Italy at the Under-19 match in Udine between Italy and Spain. VAR was tested again in online mode on 22nd February and 8th March in Bologna and Empoli as the cities hosted the Under-19 National Team against France and the Under-18 National Team against Denmark.

Squad List 

Goalkeepers: Emil Audero (Juventus), Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta), Simone Scuffet (Udinese);
Defenders: Antonio Barreca (Torino), Davide Biraschi (Genoa), Kevin Bonifazi (Spal), Davide Calabria (Milan), Alex Ferrari (Hellas Verona), Adam Masina (Bologna), Nicola Murru (Cagliari);
Midfielders Marco Benassi (Torino), Danilo Cataldi (Genoa), Alberto Grassi (Atalanta), Manuel Locatelli (Milan), Rolando Mandragora (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Sassuolo), Valerio Verre (Pescara);
Forwards: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Alberto Cerri (Pescara), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Federico Di Francesco (Bologna), Andrea Favilli (Ascoli), Luca Garritano (Cesena), Federico Ricci (Sassuolo).

Staff – Delegation Head: Giorgio Bottaro; Accompanying Director: Vincenzo Marinelli; Coach: Luigi Di Biagio; Assistant Coach: Carmine Nunziata; Secretary: Emiliano Cozzi; Goalkeeping Coach: Antonio Chimenti; Fitness Coach: Vito Azzone; Match Analyst: Filippo Lorenzon; Doctors: Angelo De Carli and Luca Gatteschi; Phyiotherapists: Enzo Paolini and Guido Mauro Ferrini; Nutritionists: Cristian Petri.

Schedule (All times CEST) 

Friday 24th March
10:00                   Training  (closed)
17:05                   Return Flight

Saturday 25th March
16:00                   Training  (Open to the press)

Sunday 26th March
13:00             Meeting with the press at the hotel (Coach)
15:30             Training (Closed)

Monday 27th March
21:00             ITALY –SPAIN Under 21,   Stadio Olimpico

Source: figc.it