Giovinco and Verratti are out due to injury. “Marco played against Azerbaijan even though there was the risk to worsen his conditions. Someone else would have probably simply raised white flag.” Conte also talked about Pirlo’s absence from the squad. “We already planned not to call him up. He’s not been playing for two weeks now and I need to make my own evaluations. I rate him highly, he knows what I think of him, however, I have to be impartial in my assessments. He’ll be 37 next year, let’s wait and see. I have to start looking around and take into account the possibility that Pirlo cannot play anymore for Italy. Nevertheless, I hope he’ll give positive signals next March.”
The requirements for getting called up for the EUROs are clear to all. They have to show the right attitude. “Every player that comes to Coverciano,” reiterated Conte, “has to think only of the Azzurri shirt. I want the players to perceive this shirt as a second skin. We based our project on a playing style, not on single players. A good playing style always enhances the quality of single players. One crucial aspect of our project is attitude. I’ve always said that I would take into account the players’ behaviour on and off the pitch. Two or three goals won’t be enough to change my mind. I need extraordinary men in order to achieve something extraordinary.”
In order to get a positive result, a great performance will be needed on Friday, when the Azzurri take on Belgium. “They’re leading the FIFA World Rankings, this proves what kind of a development they’ve undergone. We will be playing a top team. I chose these kind of friendlies because I need to understand how far we’ve come and if we can adopt certain tactical styles.” Italy’s next game is set to be exciting, exactly like the current Serie A campaign. “The fact that Fiorentina are top of the table shows that results follow hard and well organised work, even though, on paper, it could seem that that their squad is less equipped that the traditional big teams”. FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio was in attendance at the event that unveiled the home shirt that Italy will wear at the 2016 European Championship earlier today: “The Azzurri shirt is the Federation’s pride, Italy’s pride. We’ll head to the EUROs with many expectations and we’re now preparing for the tournament. Let’s hope that the draw will be favourable. The rankings have already been made but I hope that the procedure will change in the future.”
FIGC CEO Michele Uva briefly hinted at the camp location the Azzurri will choose during the European Championship: “We haven’t decided yet, there are three or four locations we’re looking into, but it will be head coach Conte who makes the final decision. I think we’ll announce it ahead of the draw.” Uva also talked about this Friday’s friendly: “It has been organised in order to remember the Heysel tragedy. We’ve involved Gaetano Scirea’s wife and Juventus too. We need to reflect upon it so that such tragedies don’t happen again.” The squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Daniele Padelli (Torino), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Luca Antonelli (Milan), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria);
Midfielders: Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Alessio Cerci (Milan), Stephan El Shaarawy (AS Monaco), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria);
Forwards: Manolo Gabbiadini (Napoli), Eder Citadin Martins (Sampdoria), Stefano Okaka (Anderlecht), Graziano Pellé (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Juventus).
Staff: Head Coach: Antonio Conte; Team Manager: Gabriele Oriali; Secretary: Mauro Vladovich; Assitant Managers: Angelo Alessio, Massimo Carrera, Gianluca Spinelli, Gianluca Conte and Mauro Sandreani; Fitness Coaches: Costantino Coratti and Paolo Bertelli; Doctors: Enrico Castellacci and Luca Gatteschi; Physios: Aldo Esposito, Alessandro Donato, Takahiro Yamamoto, Emanuele Randelli and Pasquale Raia.
 
The schedule (all times CET) Monday, 9th November
10.30 Unveiling of the new PUMA shirt at Palazzo Vecchio (Florence)
12.30 Squad to assemble in Coverciano (SPONSOR DAY)
13.45 Press conference (head coach)
15.30 Training (open to the press for the first 20 minutes)     Tuesday, 10th November
10.00 Training (behind closed doors)
13.30 Press conference (players)    
15.00 Training (open to the press for the first 20 minutes)    
    
Wednesday, 11 November
10.00 Training (behind closed doors)
13.30 Press conference (players)      
15.00 Training (open to the press for the first 20 minutes)    Thursday, 12 November
10.00 Training (behind closed doors)
16.00 Departure charter flight from Florence to Brussels      
18.00 Arrival in Brussels and transfer to King Baudouin Stadium
19.00 Training (open to the press for the first 15 minutes)
Press conference and transfer to hotel
    
Friday, 13 November
20.45 Friendly BELGIUM vs. ITALY
After the game: press conference and transfer to hotel
                
Saturday, 14 November
10.30 Departure charter flight from Brussels to Florence
12.30 Arrival in Florence and transfer to Coverciano
15.30 Training (behind closed doors)
                                             
Sunday, 15 November
10.00 Training (behind closed doors)
13.30 Press conference (players)
15.00 Training (open to the press for the first 20 minutes) Monday, 16 November
10.00 Training (behind closed doors)
16.30 Departure bus from Coverciano to Dall’Ara Stadium in Bologna
18.00 Training (open to the press for the first 15 minutes)
 Press conference and transfer to hotel Tuesday, 17 November
20.45 Friendly ITALY vs. ROMANIA
After the game: press conference and return of the players to their respective clubs ]]>