Category Archives: 2022 FIFA World Cup

Italian National Team Training Wednesday 24 March 2021

2022 FIFA World Cup, Italian National Team

https://www.italiansoccerseriea.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Anna_Italia_bigger.jpgBy Anna Italia
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Italian Soccer Serie A

Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini preparing the team for the game against Northern Ireland. On the eve of the match, the Italian team trained on Wednesday 24 March 2021 at the Ennio Tardini Stadium in Parma.   The training open to the press during the first 15 minutes.


✅   Wednesday 24 March
11:00 – Departure from Florence to Parma
17:30 – Press conference – ITALY (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
18:00 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
19:30 – Press conference – Northern Ireland (Stadio Tardini, Parma)

As reported by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Italy will seek to carry on their unbeaten streak of 22 games (17 victories and five draws) in the first of three legs which will see the side away from home facing off against Bulgaria and Lithuania, in that order.

Roberto Mancini declared during the press conference that “The first game is the most difficult, because it is coming five months after the last one and because Northern Ireland are the most dangerous side of the three. They’re not an easy side to play against, they’re physically strong and their team is made up of lots of Premier League players. We know that you can’t ever make mistakes in the path to the World Cup, we will have to do all that is within our power in these three matches. We will have to be very attentive and focussed. It’s always best to hit the ground running, we represent a great national side that has four World Cups to its name.”

As for the squad against Northern Ireland, Mancini commented, “There’s maybe just one, we’re evaluating a few things. Today we got a few Inter lads, we’ll have a look at the bench. We have three matches scheduled and it’s important to let the boys recover, they are in the midst of a very tiring season, you can’t make the same footballer play three games in a row. They are all quality players and they will be rotated.  We’ll see how Sensi is, he only arrived today. Locatelli is of course more solid in theory, Barella can play from the kick-off. Kean on the other hand was really tired, I think it’s because he’s recovering from Covid. Just like PSG, we are of the mind to let him rest properly.”

Mancini, with 61 points to his name so far, is at the top of the coach rankings after 27 games played, mentioned Northern Ireland again: “They are a typically British side, they are good on the counter-attack. They have Anglo-Saxon physicality, but their style of play is a bit different, they defend very well and hold their ground, they are great on the counter-attack. We can’t take risks, there won’t be much space to manoeuvre, especially at the beginning.

 

Giorgio Chiellini had no doubts. “We are not risking complacency in this game,” he declared, “we got burnt a few years ago and we understand the importance of the match. We can’t slip up, it’ll be difficult for various reasons but it’s a match that we need to win. It is a team that is diametrically opposed to us with regards to our characteristics, if they manage to curb us they will become dangerous. But our energy is magical, being here revitalises you. It’s great to see this team grow, the best thing that I’ve noticed in these two great past years is that we are all interchangeable. The team has always done well, it means that when you work there is a common, base-level understanding that everyone has.”

Tomorrow evening in Parma Italy will go out onto the pitch with bands on their arms and there will be a minute’s silence in memory of the five Azzurri players who passed away in recent months: Pietro Anastasi, Mauro Bellugi, Mario Corso, Pierino Prati and Paolo Rossi. There will be a video on the main screen in memory of these Azzurri, who will also be commemorated via the virtual graphic that will be visible to those watching on television.

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👉 Italy Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint Germain), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Rolando Mandragora (Torino), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Matteo Ricci (Spezia), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Roberto Soriano (Bologna), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);

Attackers: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Francesco Caputo (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Vincenzo Grifo (Friburgo), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli).

Photo: figc.it

👉 Italy National Team Schedule

Thursday 25 March
20:45 – ITALY vs. Northern Ireland (Stadio Tardini, Parma). Post-match press conference

Friday 26 March
11:00 – Training (behind closed doors) (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
12:30 – Press conference – player (Stadio Tardini, Parma)

Saturday 27 March
10:30 – Departure from Parma to Sofia
11:00 – Press conference – Bulgaria (Boyana National Football Center)
11:30 – Training – Bulgaria (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Boyana National Football Center)
18:00 – Press conference – ITALY (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia)
18:30 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia)

Sunday 28 March
20:45 Bulgaria vs. ITALY (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia). Post-match press conference

Monday 29 March
11:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 30 March
10:45 – Departure from Sofia to Vilnius
16:30 – Press conference – Lithuania (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
17:00 – Training – Lithuania (first 15 minutes open to the press) (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
17:30 – Press conference – ITALY (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
18:00 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)

Wednesday 31 March
20:45 – Lithuaniua vs. ITALY (LFF Stadium, Vilnius). Post-match press conference followed by return to respective clubs

 

Italy team training Tuesday 23 March 2021 in Coverciano

2022 FIFA World Cup, Italian National Team

https://www.italiansoccerseriea.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Anna_Italia_bigger.jpgBy Anna Italia
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Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Instagram: annaitalia2
Italian Soccer Serie A

The Italian National team continuing their preparation ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifying.  Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini leading the second training session in Coverciano on Tuesday 23 March 2021.  Training will be in the afternoon at the Federal Technical Centre, before leaving tomorrow for Parma, where, on Thursday (20:45 CET – live on Rai 1), they will face Northern Ireland in the first qualifying match for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Atalanta defender Rafael Toloi and Spezia Matteo Ricci midfielder are the two new faces with the national team preparing for their first qualifying match for the World Cup in Qatar. Tomorrow (Wednesday 24), the 3 Inter players Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella and Stefano Sensi, who were subject to restrictive health measures and who have since been given the green light to leave Milan, will join the group.

✅   Tuesday 23 March
13:45 – Press conference – FIGC/Panini (FTC Coverciano Auditorium)
Press conference – player (FTC Coverciano Auditorium)
16:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

As reported by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the Atalanta defender Toloi was born in Brazil but is a naturalized Italian and is one of the first names on Gasperini’s team sheet, while Ricci, who has already worn the Azzurri colours with the Under 18s and the Under 20s, has definitely blossomed in La Spezia. He is deserving of his call-up which also acknowledges the excellent season that the Ligurian club is having.

“I had Italian nationality even before coming to Italy – explained Toloi at a press conference – now I have got the go-ahead from FIFA to play for Italy and now I can fulfil a desire I had. I am very happy to be part of this group, it is a great honour. Some of the best defenders in the world are here and you can learn a lot from them. I’m not a kid anymore, but I want to do well among this group. The fact I’m playing for a team that is doing well like Atalanta has helped me a lot”. Ricci also thanked Spezia and his coach: “It is an incredible emotion to be here with the best Italian players. I am the first player from Spezia to join the national team since the war: it is an honour to represent this club and this city. Coach Italiano was fundamental, at Spezia we play with the same template as the national team, and this allowed me to show off my talents and get called up by the Coach”.

The ability to defend high and the frequent forays into the opponent’s half are some of Toloi’s strengths: “My way of playing like this is thanks to Gasperini, with whom I learned to go out and press high, on the right or in the centre, not only pressing the opponent but also playing and creating situations. Naturally, it’s different here, but it’s an added bonus, and I will try to learn what it takes to fit into the team”. Matteo Ricci grew up in football and in life with his twin Federico, and like his brother, he changed clubs several times before finding his ideal fit at La Spezia: “I don’t regret choosing to start from the lower divisions. My brother Federico is fighting for promotion to Serie A with Monza: we talk often, and we support each other”.


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👉 Italy Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter)*, Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter)*, Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Rolando Mandragora (Torino), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Matteo Ricci (Spezia)*, Stefano Sensi (Inter)*, Roberto Soriano (Bologna), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain);

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Francesco Caputo (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Bioty Kean (Paris Saint-Germain).

*Will join up with the squad should they gain approval from the relevant local health authority

Photo: figc.it

👉 Italy National Team Schedule

Wednesday 24 March
11:00 – Departure from Florence to Parma
17:30 – Press conference – ITALY (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
18:00 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
19:30 – Press conference – Northern Ireland (Stadio Tardini, Parma)

Thursday 25 March
20:45 – ITALY vs. Northern Ireland (Stadio Tardini, Parma). Post-match press conference

Friday 26 March
11:00 – Training (behind closed doors) (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
12:30 – Press conference – player (Stadio Tardini, Parma)

Saturday 27 March
10:30 – Departure from Parma to Sofia
11:00 – Press conference – Bulgaria (Boyana National Football Center)
11:30 – Training – Bulgaria (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Boyana National Football Center)
18:00 – Press conference – ITALY (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia)
18:30 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia)

Sunday 28 March
20:45 Bulgaria vs. ITALY (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia). Post-match press conference

Monday 29 March
11:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 30 March
10:45 – Departure from Sofia to Vilnius
16:30 – Press conference – Lithuania (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
17:00 – Training – Lithuania (first 15 minutes open to the press) (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
17:30 – Press conference – ITALY (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
18:00 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)

Wednesday 31 March
20:45 – Lithuaniua vs. ITALY (LFF Stadium, Vilnius). Post-match press conference followed by return to respective clubs

 

Italian team training Monday 22 March 2021

2022 FIFA World Cup, Italian National Team

https://www.italiansoccerseriea.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Anna_Italia_bigger.jpgBy Anna Italia
Follow me in Twitter ,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Instagram: annaitalia2
Italian Soccer Serie A

Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini leading the first training behind closed doors with the players on Monday 22 March 2021 at the Technical Center of Coverciano. Italy is preparing for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Italy looking to extend their 22-match unbeaten run when they face Northern Ireland on Thursday 25 March at the Ennio Tardini Stadium in Parma (17 wins and five draws). Italy is playing 3 games in 9 days including Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

As Mancini says during the press conference, “The first match is the most difficult, we can’t afford to get it wrong. We know that you can’t get it wrong on the road to the World Cup, we need to do the best we can in these three matches.”

On Federico Chiesa, Mancini declared: “I’m happy because he’s made great strides forward in the last two months, but he can still improve. He’s very young and has now started to play at certain levels. In addition to being decisive due to his ability to beat his man, he’s capable of scoring a lot of goals.”

✅   Monday 22 March
14:00 – Press conference – FIGC-RAI (FTC Coverciano Auditorium)
Press conference – Head Coach (Auditorium-CTF Coverciano)
16:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Former Italian and AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi received with a warm welcome now taking part of the technical staff with Head Coach Roberto Mancini.

Training


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👉 Italy Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter)*, Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter)*, Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Rolando Mandragora (Torino), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Matteo Ricci (Spezia)*, Stefano Sensi (Inter)*, Roberto Soriano (Bologna), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain);

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Francesco Caputo (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Bioty Kean (Paris Saint-Germain).

*Will join up with the squad should they gain approval from the relevant local health authority

Photo: figc.it

👉 Italy National Team Schedule

Tuesday 23 March
13:45 – Press conference – FIGC/Panini (FTC Coverciano Auditorium)
Press conference – player (FTC Coverciano Auditorium)
16:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Wednesday 24 March
11:00 – Departure from Florence to Parma
17:30 – Press conference – ITALY (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
18:00 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
19:30 – Press conference – Northern Ireland (Stadio Tardini, Parma)

Thursday 25 March
20:45 – ITALY vs. Northern Ireland (Stadio Tardini, Parma). Post-match press conference

Friday 26 March
11:00 – Training (behind closed doors) (Stadio Tardini, Parma)
12:30 – Press conference – player (Stadio Tardini, Parma)

Saturday 27 March
10:30 – Departure from Parma to Sofia
11:00 – Press conference – Bulgaria (Boyana National Football Center)
11:30 – Training – Bulgaria (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Boyana National Football Center)
18:00 – Press conference – ITALY (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia)
18:30 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia)

Sunday 28 March
20:45 Bulgaria vs. ITALY (Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia). Post-match press conference

Monday 29 March
11:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 30 March
10:45 – Departure from Sofia to Vilnius
16:30 – Press conference – Lithuania (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
17:00 – Training – Lithuania (first 15 minutes open to the press) (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
17:30 – Press conference – ITALY (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)
18:00 – Training – ITALY (first 15 minutes open to the press) (LFF Stadium, Vilnius)

Wednesday 31 March
20:45 – Lithuaniua vs. ITALY (LFF Stadium, Vilnius). Post-match press conference followed by return to respective clubs

 

Bozik’s spirited Mongolia aim high in history-making campaign

2022 FIFA World Cup, General Soccer News

Mongolia head coach (R) Rastislav Bozik conducts a training session

  • Mongolia resume Qatar 2022 qualifying under new coach Rastislav Bozik
  • Former Al Wahda manager took over last September
  • He expects his side to focus on improved displays against Tajikistan and Japan

When Asia’s qualification campaign for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ began in June 2019, Mongolia had the honour of hosting the first very first qualifying game globally. The Blue Wolves duly registered the first qualifying victory by winning 2-0 against Brunei Darussalam, before a 2-1 away defeat allowed them to progress 3-2 on aggregate.

Now 21 months on, the East Asians are again the first to act as the continent’s qualifying resumes this week. The team, under new boss Rastislav Bozik, take on hosts Tajikistan on Thursday before facing Group F leaders Japan five days later. Having seen the qualifying fixtures postponed for a year due to Covid-19, the team are hungry to embrace the return to action according to Bozik.

“It was really a hard period for the whole world,” the 43-year-old Slovak manager told FIFA.com. “A short league format, a long winter and all sorts of hardships caused [by the pandemic] made our preparation very difficult. But we have dealt with it and put the worst behind us. Now our squad is full of energy and we will work hard and have our players in their normal shape.”

Bozik has spent much of his 18-year coaching career in Asia at clubs like Son Dong Tam Long An and Al Wahda, as well as working as an assistant coach with Malaysia. He was appointed head coach of Mongolia last September with the job being his senior national team role.

“It is an honour to coach a national team, especially for me with Mongolia,” he added. “My last job was the head of Youth and Coach Education by MFF (Mongolian Football Federation). Now my tasks are to make selection decisions and prepare suitable strategy for the senior national team. I am thankful for the faith shown in me.”

Winning hearts and minds

Having never progressed beyond the first round in Asia’s World Cup qualifying before, Mongolia made history on the road to Qatar 2022 with the victory over Brunei Darussalam sending them through to the second round for the first time.

“The milestone victory sent a strong signal which the country needed. The team won the hearts of the people and conversely the fans’ support motivated the players,” Bozik added reflecting on their first-round campaign.

In the process, 32-year-old captain Tsedenbal Norjmoo struck twice, while 29-year-old forward Nyam-Osor Naranbold was also on target as they edged Brunei Darussalam. They history-making campaign continued in their maiden second-round match with a 1-0 home win over Myanmar, and this time it was 20-year-old Dolgoon Amaraa who netted the winner.

“These three players will continue to play key roles in this squad,” added the coach. “Actually they represent three generations of the team. So we have the veteran players who help with their experiences while the youngsters can provide fresh impetus.”

Mongolia head coach Rastislav Bozik conducts a training session

Discipline and spirit

Languishing at the bottom of their group with just a lone win from their five outings, Mongolia are desperate to conjure another victory. They lost to third-placed Tajikistan 1-0 in September 2019, before conceding six unanswered goals to runaway leaders Japan a month later.

“Needless to say, the matches are big challenges for us. We play away against strong rivals. We will focus on our performances rather than results. And good results will come as long as we work well in details like individual play, formation and teamwork. This is our philosophy.”

“Mongolian players are quick in learning if they get motivated. They are disciplined team and they play with high spirit. In short, they can defy odds and achieve positive transition.”

FIFA.com
FIFA.com News