By Anna Italia
Follow me in Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier game Israel vs Italy will be directed by Referee  Sergei Karasev from Russia at the Sammy Hofer Stadium in Haifa, Israel at 20:45.  Karasev will be assisted by  Anton Averianov (RUS) and Tikhon Kalugin (RUS).  The fourth official will be  Aleksei Nikolaev (RUS).   The S. Hofer Stadium has a capacity of 30,874.

• Italy are in Group G:  Italy, Spain, Albania, Israel, Macedonia, and Liechtenstein

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Italy Squad list and official numbers

Goalkeepers: 1 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), 12 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), 13 Federico Marchetti (Lazio);
Defenders: 14 Luca Antonelli (Milan), 4 Davide Astori (Fiorentina), 15 Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), 19 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), 3 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 2 Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), 5 Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), 25 Daniele Rugani (Juventus);
Midfielders: 21 Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), 7 Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), 6 Antonio Candreva (Inter), 24 Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), 18 Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), 8 Marco Parolo (Lazio), 10 Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);
Forwards: 20 Andrea Belotti (Torino), 17 Eder Citadin Martins (Inter), 22 Manolo Gabbiadini (Napoli), 11 Ciro Immobile (Lazio), 23 Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), 9 Graziano Pellè (Shandong Luneng).

Staff – Head Coach: Gian Piero Ventura; Assistant Coaches: Salvatore Sullo, Paolo Vanoli and Gianluca Spinelli; Secretary: Mauro Vladovich; Fitness coaches: Alessandro Innocenti and Giovanni Brignardello; Team Doctors: Enrico Castellacci and Carmine Costabile; Physiotherapists/Masseurs: Fabrizio Scalzi, Emanuele Randelli, Alfonso Casano and Pasquale Raia.

Italy’s schedule for the matches against Israel in September:

Sunday 4th September

10:00 Training at the Stadio San Nicola (closed)
15:15 Chartered flight from Bari to Tel Aviv departs
19:05 (18:05 CEST) Chartered flight arrives in Tel Aviv and squad transfer by bus to Haifa (1h 20mins)
20:45 (19:45 CEST) Pitch inspection at the S. Hofer Stadium and press conference with head coach and one player
Followed by transfer to hotel

Monday 5th September
21:45 (20:45 CEST) 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH: ISRAEL vs. ITALY
Followed by meeting with the press and transfer to hotel

Tuesday 6th September
12:30 (11:30 CEST) Chartered flight leaves Tel Aviv for Milan Malpensa via Rome Fiumincino

Photo: figc.it

By Anna Italia
Follow me in Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page

 
Italy had their last training session at the San Nicola Stadium in Bari on Sunday 4 September  2016 before they leave for Haifa where they face the hosts Israel at 20:45 CEST in the first FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier.   The Russian referee Sergej Karasev will officiate the game Israel vs Italy at the S. Hofer Stadium .

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Buy Italy Tickets – Italy National team tickets

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Italy Squad list and official numbers

Goalkeepers: 1 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), 12 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), 13 Federico Marchetti (Lazio);
Defenders: 14 Luca Antonelli (Milan), 4 Davide Astori (Fiorentina), 15 Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), 19 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), 3 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 2 Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), 5 Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), 25 Daniele Rugani (Juventus);
Midfielders: 21 Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), 7 Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), 6 Antonio Candreva (Inter), 24 Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), 18 Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), 8 Marco Parolo (Lazio), 10 Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);
Forwards: 20 Andrea Belotti (Torino), 17 Eder Citadin Martins (Inter), 22 Manolo Gabbiadini (Napoli), 11 Ciro Immobile (Lazio), 23 Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), 9 Graziano Pellè (Shandong Luneng).

Staff – Head Coach: Gian Piero Ventura; Assistant Coaches: Salvatore Sullo, Paolo Vanoli and Gianluca Spinelli; Secretary: Mauro Vladovich; Fitness coaches: Alessandro Innocenti and Giovanni Brignardello; Team Doctors: Enrico Castellacci and Carmine Costabile; Physiotherapists/Masseurs: Fabrizio Scalzi, Emanuele Randelli, Alfonso Casano and Pasquale Raia.

Italy’s schedule for the matches against  Israel in September:

Sunday 4th September

10:00 Training at the Stadio San Nicola (closed)
15:15 Chartered flight from Bari to Tel Aviv departs
19:05 (18:05 CEST) Chartered flight arrives in Tel Aviv and squad transfer by bus to Haifa (1h 20mins)
20:45 (19:45 CEST) Pitch inspection at the S. Hofer Stadium and press conference with head coach and one player
Followed by transfer to hotel

Monday 5th September
21:45 (20:45 CEST) 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH: ISRAEL vs. ITALY
Followed by meeting with the press and transfer to hotel

Tuesday 6th September
12:30 (11:30 CEST) Chartered flight leaves Tel Aviv for Milan Malpensa via Rome Fiumincino

Photo: figc.it

By Anna Italia
Follow me in Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page

The 2018 World Cup qualifiers draw took place in St. Petersburg on Saturday 25 July 2015.  Italy are included in Group G with Spain, Albania‬, ‎Israel‬, Macedonia‬ ‪and ‎Liechtenstein‬.  Full World Cup Qualifying Draw.   The first game is scheduled for September 2016.

Italy Head Coach Antonio Conte commenting on the draw:   “Facing a strong opponent like Spain is, of course, big motivation for us. Having said that, we’re focussed on the EURO 2016 qualifiers. We will give it our all in order to reach next summer’s European Championship” commented Italy coach Antonio Conte.

Here is the situation:

• The nine group winners will qualify for the World Cup automatically
• The best eight runners-up will play the playoffs.
• The qualifiers will start from 4th September 2016 until 10th October 2017.
• The play-offs are scheduled for November 2017.

UEFA (Final Group Stage) – The Union of European Football Associations

Group A: Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
Group B: Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
Group C: Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
Group D: Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
Group E: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
Group F: England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
Group G: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, Macedonia, Liechtenstein
Group H: Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus
Group I: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland