Category Archives: Italian National Team

UEFA Euro 2020: Bonucci, “We’re a great group, I couldn’t wait to return to Coverciano”

Italian National Team, UEFA EURO 2020

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

Italy preparation for the UEFA Euro 2020 is gaining momentum generating enthusiasm.  Defender Leonardo Bonucci addressed the press conference on Tuesday 8 June 2021 at the Media Center in Coverciano ahead of Turkey vs Italy game on Friday 11 June.   Bonucci saying,  “It’s great to be here today for this press conference, one which marks the start of the base camp phase for Italy.  I’m so fired up and the adrenaline is flowing so much that I’d take to the pitch right now.”

Bonucci’s contagious enthusiasm: “We’re a great group, I couldn’t wait to return to Coverciano”

Photo:  Getty for Figc

Bonucci adding that “I couldn’t wait to enter the Federal Technical Centre’s gates. As soon as I arrived, I felt a positive atmosphere, and being here makes me feel young. I have plenty of enthusiasm and desire. We undoubtedly need to keep our feet on the ground and remain focused, even after all the praise we’ve received following our big win over the Czech Republic.”

Photo:  Getty for Figc

As for Italy not testing themselves to high ranking teams, Bonucci added, “While it’s true that we haven’t had the opportunity to play against the really top teams in recent times, we’ve been involved in matches against teams with clear identities and have always managed to impose our game. Our standout player? The group, without a doubt. As a team, we must fight and win for Italy, bringing it back to where it deserves to be. All my teammates show great respect, both towards each other and all those who work here at the Centre. It’s the result of a group spirit that has been created and we’re all rowing in the same direction, something which we’ll carry forward.”

‘Photo:  Getty for Figc

At 21:00 CEST on Friday, the Euros will officially begin when Italy take on Turkey: “I’m so fired up and the adrenaline is flowing so much that I’d take to the pitch right now,” Bonucci continued. “Playing at the Olimpico with a crowd present? I’ll just say this: football with fans is another sport compared to when it’s played in front of empty stands. It’s wonderful to be involved in a game with passionate supporters behind you, watching you live. It’s wonderful. Our thanks go to everyone who has made it possible for Rome to be a UEFA Euro 2020 host city and for fans to be able to support us directly from the stadium. This will provide us with a vital boost.”

Bonucci then gave his thoughts on the opening game opponents: “Turkey are a team that deserves the utmost respect. During qualifying, they won and drew against the World Champions France. They’re a solid team with talented players, and they’ve shown clear growth.”

In closing, a small point on when he got tackled during the match in Bologna, which for a few moments had Head Coach Mancini and the whole of Italy worried: “I won’t deny that I thought the worst at that moment… I still feel a bit of a niggle, but it certainly won’t make me drop out of this competition.”

There’s further news to bring from the base camp of the Italian National Team: Matteo Pessina has been included in the list of 26 who will participate in the UEFA Euro 2020. Stefano Sensi will stay with the group to continue receiving treatment, but he’ll then return home.

NOTE FOR THE MEDIA – By clicking on this link, it is possible to download photos from Bonucci’s press conference. The images can be used after giving photo credit with the words: Credits: Getty for Figc. This evening, a link for today’s training photos will be provided.

By clicking on this link, it will be possible to access the Epidemiological Acknowledgement Form, which must be filled out by journalists with UEFA Euro 2020 accreditation in order to access stadiums.

✅  UEFA Euro 2020 squad list and shirt numbers

Goalkeepers: 21 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), 26 Alex Meret (Napoli), 1 Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);

Defenders: 15 Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), 23 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), 19 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), 3 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 2 Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), 13 Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), 24 Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), 4 Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), 25 Rafael Toloi (Atalanta);

Midfielders: 18 Nicolò Barella (Inter), 16 Bryan Cristante (Roma), 8 Frello Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Chelsea), 5 Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), 7 Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), 12 Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), 6 Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain);

Forwards: 9 Andrea Belotti (Torino), 11 Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), 20 Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), 14 Federico Chiesa (Juventus), 17 Ciro Immobile (Lazio), 10 Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), 22 Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo).

✅  Italy Squad Itinerary (all times CEST) 

Monday 7 June
**14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 8 June
**14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Wednesday 9 June
**14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Thursday 10 June
11:00 – Florence-Rome transfer
**17:45 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome
*18:30 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome (behind closed doors except first 15 mins)

Friday 11 June
*11:00 – Training at the Olympic Center Giulio Onesti (behind closed doors)
21:00 – Italy vs. Turkey at the Stadio Olimpico. Press conference/media duties after full-time.

Saturday 12 June
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Sunday 13 June
** 14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Monday 14 June
** 14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 15 June
11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome
**16:45 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at Hotel Parco dei Principi
*19:15 – Training at the Olympic Center Giulio Onesti (behind closed doors except first 15 mins)

Wednesday 16 June
21:00 – Italy vs. Switzerland at the Stadio Olimpico. Press conference/media duties after full-time.

Thursday 17 June
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Friday 18 June
** 14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Saturday 19 June
11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome
**16:45 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at Hotel Parco dei Principi
*19:15 – Training at the Olympic Center Giulio Onesti (behind closed doors except first 15 mins)

Sunday 20 June
18:00 – Italy vs. Wales at the Stadio Olimpico. Press conference/media duties after full-time.

N.B. Timetables are subject to possible change
* photos will be taken and shared by FIGC 
**media access will be limited to reduced numbers

Front Pages, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Tuesday 8 June 2021

AC Milan, AS Roma, Front Pages Newspapers, Inter Milan, Italian National Team, Italian Serie A Transfer Market, Juventus, Lazio, Torino FC, UEFA EURO 2020

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

Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Tuesday 8 June 2021.

La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Tuesday 8 June 2021.

Corriere dello Sport, Front Page, Tuesday 8 June 2021.


Photo: twitter.com/ItalianSerieA

Tutto Sport, Front Page, Tuesday 8 June 2021.


Photo: twitter.com/ItalianSerieA

Rafael Toloi already looking ahead to the Azzurri’s Uefa Euro 2020 start: “We have to continue this way”

Atalanta, Italian National Team

The Atalanta defender spoke to the press in the Media Centre at Coverciano after the practice match with the National Under-20 team.

Rafael Toloi already looking ahead to the Azzurri's Uefa Euro 2020 start:

“Even after the clear win, yesterday was a test of our ability, because Czech Republic are still a quality team”. The day after the stunning 4-0 victory against the Czechs, which gave Head Coach Mancini more positive signals in light of Italy’s first game at Uefa Euro 2020, Rafael Toloi met the press in the Media Centre at Coverciano, retracing the steps taken so far by the Azzurri and looking ahead towards the imminent start of the European Championship.

The Atalanta defender made this clear: “We’re ready to take on a competition of this magnitude. The excitement and passion that’s been created around the National Team is normal, because the team is playing well, we’re winning and convincing others what we’re made of. We’re doing well and we have to continue this way, getting on with it all with composure, and staying concentrated to reach the top goal.

If we’ve only conceded one goal in the last twelve games, it’s not just down to the defenders, but to the whole team to help each other. My role? Unlike what I do at my club, I’m comfortable in a four-man defence as a centre-back or right-back – I’m learning through training what the Coach wants and I’m here to contribute”.

This morning, the Azzurri who didn’t start in the match in Bologna took on Alberto Bollini’s National Under-20 team in a practice match. The game took place on the Enzo Bearzot pitch at Coverciano and some players from the first team strengthened the ranks of the Azzurrini: Sirigu, Toloi and Raspadori played the first of two 20-minute halves with the Under-20 squad, while in the second half Meret, Emerson and Chiesa supported Bollini’s team.

Only a little more than twelve hours after the friendly against the Czech Republic, the practice match was mostly going through the motions. It was, however, resolved with a Cangiano strike in the tenth minute of the first half: the Azzurrino – who this year wore the Ascoli shirt – fired a great left-footed shot from the edge of the area, overcoming Meret with a perfect shot into the bottom of the net.

“It was an honour to be able to face Mancini’s Azzurri,” Bollini said after the match. The Under-20 Coach continued by saying that “the senior national team is pleasing the fans and from what we’ve seen the situation’s looking good”.

Bollini then spoke about his Azzurrini, who will face the San Marino National Team for a friendly tomorrow: “We had four days of good and intense training in Tirrenia. The work of Club Italia, set up by Maurizio Viscidi, for the youth national teams works so well because of great connection between the various age groups and the goal is to progress players up to the senior National Team”.

 

Itinerary (all times CEST)

 

Sunday 6 June

Before 22:00 meeting at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre

Monday 7 June

**14:00 – Players meet media

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 8 June

**14:00 – Players meet media

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Wednesday 9 June

**14:00 – Players meet media

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Thursday 10 June

11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome

**17.45 – Press conference with Head Coach + 1 player at the Olympic Stadium in Rome

*18.30 – Training at the Olympic Stadium in Rome (open to the media for the first 15′)

Friday 11 June

*11:00- Training at the C.S. ‘Giulio Onesti’ (closed)

21:00 – Italy-Turkey at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Press conference/media duties after full-time and transfer to the Coverciano’s CTF

Saturday 12 June

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Sunday 13 June

**14:00 – Players meet media

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Monday 14 June

**14:00 – Players meet media

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 15 June

11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome

**16:45 – Press conference with coach + 1 player at the Hotel Parco dei Principi

*19.15 – Training at the C.S. ‘Giulio Onesti’ (open to the media for the first 15′)

Wednesday 16 June

21:00 – Italy vs. Switzerland at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Press conference/media duties after full-time and transfer to the Coverciano’s CTF

Thursday 17 June

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Friday 18 June

**14:00 – Players meet media

*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Saturday 19 June

11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome

**17.15 – Press conference with coach + 1 player at the Hotel Parco dei Principi

*18.30 – Training at the C.S. ‘Giulio Onesti’.

Sunday 20 June

18:00 – Italy vs Wales at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Press conference/media duties after full-time and transfer to the Coverciano’s CTF

N.B. Timetables are subject to possible change

* photos will be taken and shared by FIGC

**media access will be limited to reduced numbers

 Source: figc.it