After qualifying to the finals of the 2017 European Championship in Poland, Italy’s Under-21 side are back in action for two friendlies against England and Denmark who have both also qualified. The draw for the finals will be made on 1st December in Krakow.
24 Azzurrini have been called up by the coach Luigi Di Biagio for the gathering on Sunday evening in Rome. Atalanta are the best represented side with five players (Caldara, Conti, Gagliardini, Grassi and Petagna). Bologna are second with three (Ferrari, Masina and Di Francesco) along with Sassuolo who also have three (Mazzitelli, Pellegrini and Ricci). On Monday 7th November, Italy will have two training sessions and on Tuesday afternoon they will leave for Southampton where they will take on England at St Mary’s at 19:45 local time or 20:45 CEST. In the last nine matches against England, Italy have won six and drawn three. The most recent win was in the group stage at the European Championship as the Azzurrini won 3-1 with a brace from Benassi and a Belotti goal on 24th June 2015.
On Friday 11th November the side will head back to Italy and train on Saturday on the pitch at the sports centre in Azzano San Paolo. On Sunday, they will train for the last time at the Bortolotti centre in Zingonia ahead of the Denmark game on Monday 14th November at 18:30 CEST at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia Stadium in Bergamo. Against the Danes, Italy won 1-0 two years ago in a friendly held in Matera. Overall, there have been 13 meetings between the two with Italy winning seven, drawing four and losing two. The stadium will be hosting the Under-21s for the first time in 30 years when Italy between Sweden 2-1 on 29th March 1986 with goals from Baldieri and Vialli.
In the other two Under-21 matches in Bergamo, Italy lost 1-0 in a friendly against Spain on 29th October 1980 while on 10th November 1971 they beat France 3-1 with a hat-trick from Atalanta’s Sergio Magistrelli.
Squad List
Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Benevento), Pierluigi Gollini (Aston Villa), Alex Meret (Spal);
Defenders: Antonio Barreca (Torino), Davide Biraschi (Genoa), Mattia Caldara (Atalanta), Andrea Conti (Atalanta), Alex Ferrari (Bologna), Adam Masina (Bologna), Michele Somma (Brescia), Davide Vitturini (Pescara);
Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Roberto Gagliardini (Atalanta), Alberto Grassi (Atalanta), Luca Mazzitelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Sassuolo);
Forwards: Alberto Cerri (Spal), Federico Di Francesco (Bologna), Luca Garritano (Cesena), Vittorio Parigini (Chievo Verona), Andrea Petagna (Atalanta), Federico Ricci (Sassuolo), Valerio Lorenzo Rosseti (Lugano).
Staff – Delegation Head: Giancarlo Antognoni; Accompanying Director: Vincenzo Marinelli; Head Coach: Luigi Di Biagio; Assitant Coach: Carmine Nunziata; Secretary: Emiliano Cozzi; Goalkeeping Coach: Antonio Chimenti; Fitness Coach: Vito Azzone; Doctors: Angelo De Carli and Luca Gatteschi; Phsyiotherapists: Enzo Paolini and Maurizio Fagorzi; Equipment Manager: Claudio Gagliardi.
Schedule (All times CEST unless stated)
Sunday 6th November
Gather at around 22:30 in Rome
Monday 7th November
10:00 training (closed doors)
16:30 training (closed doors)
Tuesday 8th November
10:30 Training (Open to the press)
13:15 Meeting with the press (Players)
17:20 Flight from Rome to London Heathrow and transfer to Southampton
Wednesday 9th November
13:00 Meeting with the press at the Hotel Hilton (Coach)
15:30 Training at the Staplewood Centre (closed)
Thursday 10th November
10:30 Training at the Staplewood Centre (closed)
19:45 (local time) England vs. Italy at St. Mary’s Stadium – Southampton. Meeting with the press to follow,
Friday 11th November
10:00 Training at the Staplewood Centre (closed)
20:00 Flight from London to Milan Linate followed by transfer to the Hotel “Winter Garden” in Grassobbio (BG)
Saturday 12th November
15:30 Training at the sports centre Azzano San Paolo (open to the public)
Sunday 13th November
13:00 Meeting with the press at the Hotel Winter Garden (coach)
15:30 Training at the Bortolotti sports centre in Zingonia (closed)
Monday 14th November
18:30 ITALY vs. Denmark at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia – Bergamo. The players and staff will return to their usual bases after all media duties are over.