After a training match yesterday evening against Fiorentina Primavera (6-0 with two goals from Insigne and El Shaarawy, Bonaventura, Zaza all on the scoresheet), Italy spent the following morning going over video analysis before a training session in the afternoon on the pitch at the technical centre in Coverciano. On Saturday 28th May at 16:25 CET, the Azzurri will travel to Malta before playing Scotland on Sunday 29th May at 20:45 CET in the penultimate friendly before the European Championship.
With not long to go before the trip to France, Giorgio Chiellini looked to the road ahead: “We are all available with a lot of desire to do well,” said the Juventus defender at a press conference. “The European Championship is a different tournament from the World Cup, you don’t come up against completely different styles of football and it will be more balanced. Our point of strength has to be our compactness, we need to concede few goals. We need to win 1-0 or 2-0, not 4-3.”
Upcoming friendlies with Scotland and Finland will help put fuel in the tank. “Yesterday we freed ourselves from some of the work we have done in recent days. It’s normal that in these games you score at the end of the match. We know that we will face some difficulties also against Scotland and Finland, but they will help us to make steps towards going into the Group Stage in peak physical condition. Against Scotland we must show great physical determination, I see that they are similar to Norway who we played in the group and one of our weaknesses was against big strikers and football based around crosses.”
He is also ready to fill in at full-back if needed and after years of success at club level, Chiellini is dreaming of winning a trophy with the Azzurri. “We are aware of our potential and there will be a great desire to play in these sort of events, international success means something more to you. When you win a European Championship or the Champions League, it’s certainly different to winning the Scudetto. Italy has only won one European Championship in its history and this is a unique opportunity.”
The main objective is to make it to the round of 16: “We are a team that improves game by game,” added the defender from Livorno. “Traditionally, we have always had some difficulties in the Group Stage. I don’t want for us to go through in third, but in the knockout stage we can beat anyone. We are a team that can go far with hard work, strength and a bit of enthusiasm, matched with the freedom of not thinking too much.”
Belgium will be the first obstacle for the Azzurri, a team full of talent and stable at this point at the top of the world rankings. “They are a great team, a lot will depend on the physical conditions of De Bruyne and Hazard and I have seen a marked improvement with the latter. They lack some experience in terms of winning the entire tournament but I believe that they are group favourites.”
The last question concerned Chiellini’s views on what characteristics the next Italy coach should have: “They must have experience and a solid tactical foundation. They have to improve on the elements we have been missing in recent years, among this they have to bring the most out of emerging talents. Furthermore, they can’t lose sight of our traditional identity, they must combine it with how European football is developing.”
To see the press release concerning the friendlies with Scotland and Finland: click here.
The squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint Germain);
Defenders: Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), Daniele Rugani (Juventus);
Wingers: Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Davide Zappacosta (Torino);
Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus);
Forwards: Citadin Martins Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Graziano Pellè (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Juventus).
Auxiliary goalkeeper: Alex Meret (Udinese)
Staff – Head coach: Antonio Conte; team manager: Gabriele Oriali; secretary: Mauro Vladovich; assistant coaches: Angelo Alessio, Massimo Carrera, Gianluca Spinelli, Gianluca Conte and Mauro Sandreani; fitness coaches: Costantino Coratti and Paolo Bertelli; federal doctors: Enrico Castellacci and Luca Gatteschi; physiotherapists: Aldo Esposito, Alessandro Donato, Takahiro Yamamoto and Pasquale Raia.
The full programme is as follows (all times in CEST)
Pre-European Championship training camp and ITALY vs. SCOTLAND friendly
Friday, 27th May 2016
10:30 Training session (behind closed doors)
13:30 Press conference (players)
16:30 Training session (open to media for the first 15’)
Saturday, 28th May 2016
10:30 Training session (behind closed doors)
16:25 Departure for Malta (flight Firenze-Malta)
18:25 Scheduled arrival in Malta and transfer to Westin Dragonara Hotel
19:00 Press conference at the Ta’ Qali Stadium (Italy head coach + one player)
Sunday, 29th May 2016
20:45 Friendly ITALY vs. SCOTLAND at the Ta’ Qali Stadium
Press conference and transfer to the airport following the game
00:50 Departure of charter flight to Roma/ Milano Malpensa
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Pre-European Championship training camp and ITALY vs. FINLAND friendly
Tuesday, 31st May 2016 (Submission to UEFA of the EURO 2016 official 23-man squad within 24:00)
18:00 Meet up at the Parco dei Principi Hotel in Rome
20:30 RAI TV show ‘Sogno Azzurro”
22:30 Departure from Rome to Florence and transfer to Coverciano
Tuesday, 1st June 2016
10:00 Official squad photo with Scervino and Puma outfits (open only to photographers and TV operators)
followed by a training session behind closed doors
14:30 Press conference (players)
16:30 Training session (open to media for the first 15’)
Thurday, 2nd June 2016
10:30 Training session (behind closed doors)
13:30 Press conference (players)
16:30 Training session (open to media for the first 15’)
Friday, 3rd June 2016
10:30 Training session (behind closed doors)
13:30 Press conference (players)
16:30 Training session (open to media for the first 15’)
Saturday, 4th June 2016
09:30 Training session (behind closed doors)
13:30 Press conference (players)
16:30 Training session (open to media for the first 15’)
Sunday, 5th June 2016
10:30 Training session (behind closed doors)
16:00 Training session (behind closed doors)
18:03 Departure train from Florence to Verona Porta Nuova
20:10 Press conference at the Stadio Bentegodi (Italy head coach + one player)
Monday, 6th June 2016
20:45 Friendly ITALY vs. FINLAND at the Stadio Bentegodi
Press conference after the game
Wednesday, 8th June 2016
18:00 Meet up at the Malpensa Hotel
21:30 Departure of charter flight from Milano Malpensa to Montpellier
22:50 Scheduled arrival in Montpellier and transfer to Marriot Courtyard Hotel
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