By Anna Italia
Follow me on Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Instagram: annaitalia2
Italian Soccer Serie A

Italy National Football team training on Thursday 11 November 2021 for the FIFA World Cup Qualifier game Italy vs Switzerland on Friday 12 November 2021 at the Olimpico di Roma Stadium in Rome, Italy at 20:45.   Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini giving the final directions to the team and select his ideal lineup.  The training was at the Stadio Olimpico with first 15 minutes open to the media.

👉 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group C, Italy leading with 14 points (after Matchday 6)

Mancini, “Switzerland have been playing excellent football for several years now. We’ve to go out there and play our style of football, we know our strengths. This team still has room for improvement and can get even better between now and the World Cup.”https://t.co/F9rgRRQggv https://t.co/2jk2sZzkkH

— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) November 11, 2021

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Ticket option for Italy National team games

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Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En

Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En

Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En

Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En

Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En

🇮🇹 👉 Italian Squad List

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (AC Milan), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Tommaso Pobega (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Milan);

Strikers: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo).

🇮🇹 👉 ITALY – THE SCHEDULE (all times CEST)

Thursday 11 November
12:00 – Press conference at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, ITALY (access for journalists)
18:30 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the media)
16:00 – Press conference at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Switzerland (access for journalists)
17:00 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Switzerland (first 15 minutes open to the media)
Friday 12 November
20:45 – ITALY vs. Switzerland. Post-match press conference and return to hotel to follow
Saturday 13 November
15:00 – Training at the Acqua Acetosa Olympic Training Centre in Rome (behind closed doors)
Sunday 14 November
10:30 – Transfer from Rome to Belfast
11:30 l.t Training, Northern Ireland (first 15 minutes open to the press)
13:00 l.t – Press conference, Northern Ireland ***(access for journalists)
17:30 l.t – Press conference, ITALY ***(access for journalists)
18:00 l.t – Training ITALY ***(first 15 minutes open to the media)
Monday 15 November
19:45 l.t – Northern Ireland vs. ITALY. Followed by post-match press conference and return to respective clubs

*Depending on capacity, journalists and photographers will be granted access to the press conference and the first 15 minutes of the team’s training session on Monday 8 November
**Only journalists will have access to successive press conferences at Coverciano, with the remaining training sessions taking place behind closed doors. TV operators will not be granted access. The FIGC will produce and distribute images relating to press conferences and training sessions to relevant parties upon request. For more info: Massimiliano Reale (FIGC Area Sales): email: m.reale@figcit. Tel: 06/84913023.
***The press conferences in Belfast will be reserved for eight media outlets. A Zoom link will be provided for accredited journalists to follow the conference.

By Anna Italia
Follow me on Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Instagram: annaitalia2
Italian Soccer Serie A

Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini highly motivated during the press conference on the eve of the FIFA World Cup Qualifier game Italy vs Switzerland on Friday 12 November 2021 at the Olimpico di Roma Stadium in Rome, Italy at 20:45.

Mancini saying,  “The boys are calm, but also have their eyes on the prize.  They know that to win they have to be at their best, without getting distracted by everything that’s riding on this match. I don’t think it helps to be anxious before a game. You should be happy before going out there onto the pitch because playing football for your country is the highest honour.  Tomorrow will be a difficult match, Switzerland have been playing excellent football for several years now. We have to go out there and play our style of football, we know our strengths. This team still has room for improvement and can get even better between now and the World Cup.”

This is an important game because the victory will almost secure Italy the qualification to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.  , Italy and Switzerland are leading Group C with 14 points each.  Here’s the situation. if Italy win, they will reach 17 points leaving Switzerland in the 2nd position.  Italy will need only one point from the last match of the round against Northern Ireland for the qualification.  The draw it’s not enough because Italy will have a +2 goal difference to defend.  Now, if Italy lose, most likely it will be heading to the play-off route for qualification.  The game with Switzerland bringing positive memories as last June at the Olimpico in Rome, Italy beat Switzerland 3-0 in the second match of the group stages. Five months ago, by beating the Swiss, Italy secured their place in the round of 16 of EURO 2020.

👉 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group C, Italy leading with 14 points (after Matchday 6)

The not so good news is that Mancini is dealing with several absences, as the injuries to Leonardo Spinazzola and Marco Verratti have been compounded in the last three days by the loss of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Nicolò Zaniolo and Ciro Immobile. Reportedly, Immobile’s injury has been the most prolific Italian striker this season, with 15 goals so far, has forced Mancini to re-evaluate his offensive trio, with Torino forward Andrea Belotti.

As for injured players, Mancini commented, “We all feel bad for Immobile and Chiellini, but it’s the same for all the national teams, injuries are to be expected at this stage of the season. I’ve kept an eye on Il Gallo, physically he won’t be 100% because he’s coming back from a serious injury. Maybe he doesn’t have 90 minutes in the tank, but if he could score in the first 60 or 65 minutes then it won’t matter. Barella? He’s fine, he trained yesterday, and I think he could play tomorrow.” Switzerland will also have to make do without several key players, including their captain Xhaka as well as Embolo, Elvedi, Fassnacht and Zuber: “I don’t know if they will change formation, but we know they will be a difficult team to play against.”

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Ticket option for Italy National team games

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Italy have faced Switzerland more than any other team, 60 matches, with 29 wins, 23 draws and only 8 losses.  Italy will be playing in Rome, the city that has hosted the most Azzurri matches  with a total of 62 games.

In a match that is virtually a ‘play-off’, Italy will have the home advantage. Five months ago, the Olimpico was restricted to only 25% of its total capacity, whereas tomorrow there will be 52,000 fans in the stands, ready to get behind the Azzurri and push them towards that place at the World Cup: “The Olimpico will give us the upper hand, playing here is always a privilege. We played three matches here during the EUROS and the crowd were always right behind us. Tomorrow, I have no doubts that it will be the same, the pitch is looking good too. it will be a great spectacle.”

Leonardo Bonucci will return to the heart of the defence tomorrow, having been suspended in the Nations League semi-final against Belgium on October 10. This suspension came after a run of 12 consecutive appearances and a successful European Championship. However, he will not have his long-time companion Giorgio Chiellini by his side at the back, after he was forced to pull out of the squad with an injury yesterday. In their 17 matches played together under Mancini’s management, Italy have never lost (10 wins and 7 draws), a stat that confirms the strength of the partnership: “We’re feeling good, tomorrow we need to give it our all and then we can start thinking about finishing it off on Monday”, said the Juventus defender. The fans are important, they will do their part to help us through any difficult moments. We all hope we can be celebrating with them by the end of the night.

🇮🇹 👉 Italian Squad List

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (AC Milan), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Tommaso Pobega (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Milan);

Strikers: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo).

🇮🇹 👉 ITALY – THE SCHEDULE (all times CEST)

Thursday 11 November
12:00 – Press conference at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, ITALY (access for journalists)
18:30 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the media)
16:00 – Press conference at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Switzerland (access for journalists)
17:00 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Switzerland (first 15 minutes open to the media)
Friday 12 November
20:45 – ITALY vs. Switzerland. Post-match press conference and return to hotel to follow
Saturday 13 November
15:00 – Training at the Acqua Acetosa Olympic Training Centre in Rome (behind closed doors)
Sunday 14 November
10:30 – Transfer from Rome to Belfast
11:30 l.t Training, Northern Ireland (first 15 minutes open to the press)
13:00 l.t – Press conference, Northern Ireland ***(access for journalists)
17:30 l.t – Press conference, ITALY ***(access for journalists)
18:00 l.t – Training ITALY ***(first 15 minutes open to the media)
Monday 15 November
19:45 l.t – Northern Ireland vs. ITALY. Followed by post-match press conference and return to respective clubs

*Depending on capacity, journalists and photographers will be granted access to the press conference and the first 15 minutes of the team’s training session on Monday 8 November
**Only journalists will have access to successive press conferences at Coverciano, with the remaining training sessions taking place behind closed doors. TV operators will not be granted access. The FIGC will produce and distribute images relating to press conferences and training sessions to relevant parties upon request. For more info: Massimiliano Reale (FIGC Area Sales): email: m.reale@figcit. Tel: 06/84913023.
***The press conferences in Belfast will be reserved for eight media outlets. A Zoom link will be provided for accredited journalists to follow the conference.

By Anna Italia
Follow me on Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Instagram: annaitalia2
Italian Soccer Serie A

Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini 28 players for the  World Cup Qualifiers games against Switzerland and Northern Ireland, scheduled respectively on Friday 12 November 2021 at the Olympico Stadium in Rome and on Monday 15 November at the ‘National Football Stadium at Windsor Park’ in Belfast.   First call to the national team for Torino midfielder Tommaso Pobega, while AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali  after a year from his last call-up.

The games are crucial for Italy World Cup qualification. Italy and Switzerland having 14 points each at the top of Group C, with only the first-place side directly qualifying for Qatar 2022.

👉 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Group C, Italy leading with 14 points (after Matchday 6)

As reported by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the Italian players will meet up on Sunday 7 November evening at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre and arrive in Rome on Wednesday 10 November, when they’ll visit the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital. The National Team will remain in the capital after their game against the Swiss and travel to Belfast on Sunday 14 November ahead of their showdown against Northern Ireland.

👉 ITALY VS. SWITZERLAND.
Switzerland are the team the Azzurri have faced the most times in their history: the two sides have met on 60 occasions between 1911 and 2021. Italy’s record against their Swiss counterparts is a favourable one: there have been 29 Azzurri wins, 23 draws (the last one in the last meeting in Basel earlier on in the group, which finished 0-0) and eight Switzerland victories. Italy are unbeaten against the Swiss for over 28 years: they’ve won five and drawn five of their last ten matches against them, with their last defeat coming in May 1993 (1-0 in Bern). Switzerland’s last victory in Italy was in October 1982, a 1-0 success in Rome. The National Team are set to play for the 63rd time in Rome, the city that has hosted the Azzurri on the most occasions. Italy’s record in the capital reads as follows: 38 wins (it’s the city where they’ve recorded the most victories), 17 draws and seven defeats; 114 goals scored and 47 conceded. Italy have won their last five matches in Rome and haven’t shipped any goals in their last four (a 427-minute run), with these victories coming against Norway, Greece, Turkey, Switzerland and Wales. Their last loss there came in August 2013, when Argentina ran out 2-1 winners (Insigne got on the scoresheet for the Azzurri that day). Italy vs. Switzerland has taken place five times in Rome: the Azzurri have won four and lost once, scoring ten and conceding three in the process. The Swiss are the team they’ve faced the most in the capital.

👉 NORTHERN IRELAND VS. ITALY.
The Azzurri have faced Northern Ireland on ten occasions, winning seven of those games (every single one in Italy), drawing twice and losing once. The defeat was a costly one, however, with Italy missing out on the 1958 World Cup in Sweden as a result. The Azzurri have played three away matches against the Northern Irish, all of which took place in Belfast. However, they’ve never emerged victorious there, drawing twice and losing once.

👉 STATE OF PLAY.
With both teams having won four and drawn twice, including the 0-0 stalemate in Basel, Italy and Switzerland will face off with first place in Group C of European World Cup qualifying at stake. Only the top side will achieve automatic qualification, while the second-place team will be forced to go down the playoff route. The playoffs will take place in March and see the ten group runners-up be joined by the two best group winners of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League overall ranking that have neither qualified directly for the final tournament as European Qualifiers group winners, nor entered the play-offs already as European Qualifiers group runners-up. The twelve teams will be drawn into three play-off paths for one-off semi-finals and a final, with the three path winners qualifying for the World Cup.

THE NATIONAL TEAM AT THE BAMBINO GESU CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The Azzurri will arrive in Rome two days before their match against Switzerland and pay a very special visit to the Bambino Gesù Children’s hospital, where they’ll meet the young patients being treated there. It’ll be the second time that the National Team have visited the largest paediatric hospital in Europe after previously doing so on the eve of Italy vs. Greece in October 2019. The bond between the Azzurri and the hospital goes back to 2015 and has only been strengthened by various initiatives, including a €50,000 donation from the FIGC in order to enable the purchase of a machine to analyse and quantify DNA mutations.

N.b Videos and photos taken at the event will be distributed by the FIGC and OPBG, there will be no access for the media.

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Ticket option for Italy National team games

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🇮🇹 👉 ITALY SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Lione), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Tommaso Pobega (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Milan), Nicolò Zaniolo (Roma);

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo).

Photo via twitter.com/Azzurri_En

🇮🇹 👉 ITALY – THE SCHEDULE (all times CEST)

Sunday 7 November
Meet-up at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre
Monday 8 November
13:15 – Press conference at Coverciano – Head Coach *(access for journalists and photographers)
15:30 – Training at Coverciano *(open to journalists and photographers for first 15 minutes)
Tuesday 9 November
13:30 – Press conference at Coverciano – Player **(access for journalists)
16:00 – Training at Coverciano **(behind closed doors)
Wednesday 10 November
10:30 – Training at Coverciano **(behind closed doors)
Afternoon transfer from Florence to Roma and visit to Bambino Gesù Children’s hospital
Thursday 11 November
12:00 – Press conference at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, ITALY (access for journalists)
18:30 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the media)
16:00 – Press conference at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Switzerland (access for journalists)
17:00 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Switzerland (first 15 minutes open to the media)
Friday 12 November
20:45 – ITALY vs. Switzerland. Post-match press conference and return to hotel to follow
Saturday 13 November
15:00 – Training at the Acqua Acetosa Olympic Training Centre in Rome (behind closed doors)
Sunday 14 November
10:30 – Transfer from Rome to Belfast
11:30 l.t Training, Northern Ireland (first 15 minutes open to the press)
13:00 l.t – Press conference, Northern Ireland ***(access for journalists)
17:30 l.t – Press conference, ITALY ***(access for journalists)
18:00 l.t – Training ITALY ***(first 15 minutes open to the media)
Monday 15 November
19:45 l.t – Northern Ireland vs. ITALY. Followed by post-match press conference and return to respective clubs

*Depending on capacity, journalists and photographers will be granted access to the press conference and the first 15 minutes of the team’s training session on Monday 8 November
**Only journalists will have access to successive press conferences at Coverciano, with the remaining training sessions taking place behind closed doors. TV operators will not be granted access. The FIGC will produce and distribute images relating to press conferences and training sessions to relevant parties upon request. For more info: Massimiliano Reale (FIGC Area Sales): email: m.reale@figcit. Tel: 06/84913023.
***The press conferences in Belfast will be reserved for eight media outlets. A Zoom link will be provided for accredited journalists to follow the conference.