The squad Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Ivan Provedel (Modena), Simone Scuffet (Como);
Defenders: Antonio Barreca (Cagliari), Arturo Calabresi (Livorno), Andrea Conti (Atalanta), Nicola Murru (Cagliari), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Daniele Rugani (Juventus), Michele Somma (Brescia), Lorenzo Venuti (Brescia); Francesco Vicari (Novara);
Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Bryan Cristante (Benfica), Rolando Mandragora (Pescara), Augustin Jose Mauri (Milan), Valerio Verre (Pescara);
Forwards: Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Kingsley Boateng (Bari), Alberto Cerri (Cagliari), Nicolò Fazzi (Virtus Entella), Gaetano Monachello (Atalanta), Daniele Verde (Frosinone).
Staff: Giancarlo Antognoni (head of delegation); Vincenzo Marinelli (delegate); Maurizio Viscidi (vice coordinator youth national teams); Luigi Di Biagio (coach); Carmine Nunziata (assistant coach); Emiliano Cozzi (secretary); Antonio Chimenti (goalkeepers coach); Vito Azzone (sport trainer); Angelo De Carli and Carmine Costabile (doctors); Enzo Paolini and Guido Mauro Ferrini (masseur); Claudio Gagliardi and Emilio Basili (warehouse workers) The schedule (time all CEST) Monday 31st August
meet up by 12.30 CEST at “Mancini Park Hotel” – Rome
17.00 – training (closed to the press) Tuesday 1st September
10.00  – training (closed to the press)
13.15 – meeting with press (the coach)
17.00 – training (open to the press) Wednesday 2nd September
10.00 – training (closed to the press)
17.00 – training (closed to the press) Thursday 3rd September
17.00 – practice game, U21s vs Lupa Roma
after the game meeting with the press.
                   
Friday 4th September
17.00 – training (closed to the press) Saturday 5th September
13.15 – meeting with press (players)
17.00 – training (open to the press) Sunday 6th September
10.00 – training (closed to the press)
16.05 – travel by train from Rome to Reggio Emilia and check into Hotel “Dei Medaglioni”- Correggio (RE) Monday 7th September
13.00 – lunch
13.15 – meeting with press at the Hotel “Dei Medaglioni
19.00 – training at “Mapei – Città del Tricolore” stadium (open to the press for the first 15 minutes)
           
Tuesday 8th September
17.00 – Italy U21 vs Slovenia U21
at “Mapei – Città del Tricolore” stadium – RE              
After the game there will be a press conference with the players  ]]>

In Di Biagio’s opinion, this new under-21 team will be a good one: “There are a lot of players born in 1994; some of them even on the verge of being called up for the senior team – the ultimate aim for us. In addition, there are a lot of players born in 1996 too: I expect answers on the pitch in order to assess whether they’ll be important pieces of this team in this new two-year period. I think this is a good U21 team.”
Di Biagio offered a few words on Alessio Romagnoli, who had initially joined the squad, but was allowed to withdraw in order to have a medical ahead of his proposed transfer: “His skills and his personality mean he has great things ahead of him. His transfer from AS Roma to AC Milan is impressive. Alessio is a great prospect and he has great value on the transfer market. I’m happy for him, but also for us, for the whole of Italian football. Romagnoli will be worth even more in two years. I talked to him a lot yesterday, I told him that he will be judged in a different way from now on. A normal performance would’ve have been considered positive three months ago, but now even a good performance could be portrayed negatively, because more is expected of him. When you play at the San Siro, you have to play with style as well as work hard; it’s a special stadium, with a very demanding crowd.  I warned him to prepare himself. It could well be that he plays 80 flawless minutes, but two mistakes in controlling the ball could determine people’s judgement of him entirely. I’m sure that Mihajlovic will tell him the same things.”
Giancarlo Antognoni, a new member of the U21 staff, will take up the role of head of delegation:  “I’ll do what I’ve always done,” explained the 1982 World Cup winner, “This is an important task for me. The U21 team is one step below the senior team. It’s an important team and I hope contribute to the development of these young players. There are a lot of players who don’t get many minutes at their respective clubs. If the young Italian players don’t play, we will struggle.” The first training session took place in Rome this morning with many players still missing. Nine players, all of whom were involved in Italian Cup action yesterday, will join the squad this afternoon. Due to injuries suffered at their respective clubs, Garritano (Cesena) and Parigini (Perugia) have left the squad too. The Azzurrini will leave for Telki tomorrow morning. This friendly is a good test ahead of the European Championship qualifiers. Italy will get their campaign underway against Slovenia in Reggio Emilia on 8th September. Squad:
Goalkeepers: Cragno (Cagliari), Provedel (Modena), Scuffet (Udinese);
Defenders: Barreca (Cagliari), Calabresi (Livorno), Conti (Atalanta), Fontanesi (Sassuolo), Murru (Cagliari), Somma (Brescia), Venuti (Brescia), Vicari (Novara);
Midfielders: Benassi (Torino), Fazzi (Fiorentina), Gagliardini (Vicenza), Grassi (Atalanta), Mandragora (Pescara), Verre (Udinese);
Forwards: Aramu (Torino), Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Boateng (Bari), Cerri (Juventus), Rosseti (Cesena), Verde (Frosinone).
Head of the delegation: Antognoni
Head coach: Di Biagio
Secretary: Cozzi
Assistant manager: Nunziata
Goalkeeping coach: Chimenti
Fitness coach: Azzone
Doctors: De Carli e Santoriello
Sports masseurs: Paolini e Scalzi
Warehouse workers: Turco e Basile Schedule Monday, 10th August
10:00 CEST            Training session at the Mancini Park Hotel (behind closed doors)
13:15 CEST            Press conference (head coach and players)
17:30 CEST            Training session at the Mancini Park Hotel  (open to the press) Tuesday, 11th August
11:50 CEST           Flight LH 1843 Rome to Munich
14:40 CEST           Flight LH1678 Munich to Budapest
18:00 CEST           Training session at the Telki Sport Center (open to the press for the first 15 minutes) followed by transfer to the Novotel Budapest City Hotel Wednesday, 12th August
21:00 CEST            Friendly match: Hungary U21 vs. Italy U21 at the Telki Sport Center stadium – Telki.
                              Post-match press conference Thursday, 13th August
09:40 CEST          Flight LH1335 Budapest to Frankfurt followed by transfer to respective clubs ]]>

The U21 national team met up in Rome yesterday ahead of their friendly against Hungary, due to take place in Telki on 12th August. The first training session took place with many players still missing: AS Roma defender Alessio Romagnoli had already joined the group, but withdrew from the squad in order to have a medical ahead of his impending transfer; a further nine players, all of whom were involved in Italian Cup action yesterday, will join the squad this afternoon. Due to injuries suffered at their respective clubs, Garritano (Cesena) and Parigini (Perugia) have left the squad too. The Azzurrini will leave for Telki tomorrow morning. This friendly represents a test ahead of the European Championship qualifiers, which will see Italy get their campaign underway against Slovenia in Reggio Emilia on 8th September. Squad:
Goalkeepers: Cragno (Cagliari), Provedel (Modena), Scuffet (Udinese);
Defenders: Barreca (Cagliari), Calabresi (Livorno), Conti (Atalanta), Fontanesi (Sassuolo), Murru (Cagliari), Somma (Brescia), Venuti (Brescia), Vicari (Novara);
Midfielders: Benassi (Torino), Fazzi (Fiorentina), Gagliardini (Vicenza), Grassi (Atalanta), Mandragora (Pescara), Verre (Udinese);
Forwards: Aramu (Torino), Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Boateng (Bari), Cerri (Juventus), Rosseti (Cesena), Verde (Frosinone).
Head of the delegation: Antognoni
Head coach: Di Biagio
Secretary: Cozzi
Assistant manager: Nunziata
Goalkeeping coach: Chimenti
Fitness coach: Azzone
Doctors: De Carli e Santoriello
Sports masseurs: Paolini e Scalzi
Warehouse workers: Turco e Basile Schedule Monday, 10th August
10:00 CEST            Training session at the Mancini Park Hotel (behind closed doors)
13:15 CEST            Press conference (head coach and players)
17:30 CEST            Training session at the Mancini Park Hotel  (open to the press) Tuesday, 11th August
11:50 CEST           Flight LH 1843 Rome to Munich
14:40 CEST           Flight LH1678 Munich to Budapest
18:00 CEST           Training session at the Telki Sport Center (open to the press for the first 15 minutes) followed by transfer to the Novotel Budapest City Hotel Wednesday, 12th August
21:00 CEST            Friendly match: Hungary U21 vs. Italy U21 at the Telki Sport Center stadium – Telki.
                              Post-match press conference Thursday, 13th August
09:40 CEST          Flight LH1335 Budapest to Frankfurt followed by transfer to respective clubs