After the long forced stop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy’s U21s are back in action with their first two games of the season. Coach Paolo Nicolato has called up 31 players for their upcoming friendly against Slovenia on Thursday 3 September at the Stadio Guido Teghil in Lignano Sabbiadoro (17:30 CEST kick-off). The group will then be cut to 23 players for their next match against Sweden in the European qualifiers, kick-off for which comes at 18:30 CEST on Tuesday 8 September in Kalmar.

Ten players are receiving their first call-ups to the Under-21 side: defenders Giuseppe Cuomo and Alessandro Vogliacco, midfielders Andrea Colpani, Youssef Maleh, Filippo Melegoni, Tommaso Pobega and Samuele Ricci and forwards Sebastiano Esposito, Eddie Salcedo and Giacomo Raspadori. The team are set to meet in the afternoon of Sunday 30 August in Lignano Sabbiadoro, getting straight down to work with their first two training sessions on Monday the 31st.

Italy currently sit second in the standings in Group 1, on 13 points from five games (four wins and one draw, with 15 goals scored and none conceded). They’re three points off Ireland in first place but hold two games in hand. In order to qualify for the Euros, the Azzurrini will have to top their group or come amongst the top five second-placed sides in the nine groups, with these qualified sides joining the two host nations, Hungary and Slovenia, for a subsequent group stage with four groups of four from 24 to 31 March 2021. The group winners and second-placed sides will then qualify for the final eight, who will face off in one final tournament in Hungary and Slovenia from 31 May to 6 June 2021 with a direct knockout format.

The squad list:

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Trapani), Mattia Del Favero (Juventus), Alessandro Plizzari (Reggina);

Defenders: Claud Adjapong (Hellas Verona), Davide Bettella (Pescara), Nicolò Casale (Venezia), Giuseppe Cuomo (Crotone), Enrico Delprato (Livorno), Matteo Gabbia (AC Milan), Luca Ranieri (Ascoli), Marco Sala (Virtus Entella), Alessandro Tripaldelli (Sassuolo), Marco Varnier (Pisa), Alessandro Vogliacco (Pordenone);

Midfielders: Marco Carraro (Perugia), Andrea Colpani (Monza), Salvatore Esposito (Chievo Verona), Davide Frattesi (Empoli), Giulio Maggiore (Spezia), Youssef Maleh (Venezia), Filippo Melegoni (Pescara), Tommaso Pobega (Pordenone), Samuele Ricci (Empoli), Niccolò Zanellato (Crotone);

Forwards: Patrick Cutrone (Fiorentina), Sebastiano Esposito (Inter), Andrea Pinamonti (Genoa), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Eddie Salcedo (Hellas Verona), Gianluca Scamacca (Ascoli), Riccardo Sottil (Fiorentina).

The schedule (all times CEST):

Sunday 30 August

The group to meet at the Hotel Columbus in Lignano Sabbiadoro by 18:00

Monday 31 August

10:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

17:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 1 September

10:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

17:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Wednesday 2 September

10:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

18:30 – Training at the Stadio G. Teghil in Lignano Sabbiadoro (open to the press for the first 15 minutes)

Thursday 3 September

17:30 – Friendly match ITALY VS. SLOVENIA (Stadio G. Teghil in Lignano Sabbiadoro)

Friday 4 September

10:00 – Flight Venice-Kalmar

17:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Saturday 5 September

10:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

17:30 – Training (behind closed doors)

Sunday 6 September

11:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Monday 7 September

18:30 – Training at the Kalmar Arena

Tuesday 8 September

18:30 EURO qualifier SWEDEN VS. ITALY (Kalmar Arena)

Wednesday 9 September

10:00 – Flight Kalmar-Milan-Rome