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italia under 21
Emanuele Tramacere
Translated by

Italy Under-21s hunting the place at the European Championship and the Olympics: who Baldini has called up and who Mancini is keeping an eye on

Italy
Italy U21
UEFA Nations League A
AC Milan
Roma
Como
Inter
Juventus
SSC Napoli
Fiorentina
Torino

The Under-21s have everything to play for in the next two matches. Mancini and Baldini have split his call-ups.

Italy Under-21s return to action for the final two matches in their qualifying group for the European Championship final phase at this level, and Silvio Baldini's side have been tasked with pulling off a double feat, because finishing ahead of Poland would also seal qualification for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

For the latest senior national team squad, Roberto Mancini has left many of the young players he had hoped to start integrating into his new project with his colleague. The targets at stake are too important to let slip. But who are these boys and what is needed to secure the double qualification?


  • Baldini’s words on the group

    "Whether it is the senior team or the Under-21s makes no difference to me. For me, the national team is these lads and there is no difference: this group fills me with joy when I coach them and pride when they play. June brought huge satisfaction, not least because these lads have matured more quickly thanks to the path they have taken with the Under-21s, showing they belong at the top level."

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  • What is needed to qualify

    Qualification for the next Olympics will not be settled over the next two matches. Uefa have only three places available, handed to the two European Championship finalists and the winners of the third-place play-off, which will be introduced for the first time at the next edition of the tournament.

    First, though, Italy must qualify for the next European Championship, which will be held next summer in Albania and Serbia. The Azzurrini are chasing Poland in second place after losing the first meeting between the sides 2-1 away from home.

    Group winners go through automatically, along with the best of the second-placed teams, while the remaining runners-up will meet in the play-offs for the last available spot.

  • Italy's schedule

    Italy play tomorrow, Thursday 24 September, in Yerevan in the first of their two matches against Armenia, who sit bottom on 0 points, with 4 goals scored and 23 conceded in 8 matches. Poland, meanwhile, host Sweden, who are already certain not to be among the sides reprieved.


    After that comes the head-to-head between Italy and Poland, likely to be decisive, on Monday 5 October at 6.15pm in Pescara, home of the Azzurrini.


    The Azzurrini also lead the ranking of the best runners-up as things stand, but the points they take against Armenia will not count towards the separate table, because only those won against the top five teams in the group count. In practice, only Greece, with two wins from two, could draw level with the Azzurri for the final guaranteed place. Goal difference would then decide who goes through if Italy lose to Poland, with Italy currently on 16 against 7 for the Greeks.

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  • The squad

    Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Parma), Diego Mascardi (Torino), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone);
    Defenders: Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Gabriele Calvani (Frosinone), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia Monchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Torino), Costantino Favasuli (Napoli), Niccolo Fortini (Torino), Emanuele Lulli (Roma), Brando Moruzzi (Avellino), Luca Reggiani (Borussia Dortmund);
    Midfielders: Tommaso Berti (Cremonese), Matteo Cichella (Frosinone), Giacomo Faticanti (Avellino), Mattia Liberali (Como), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma);
    Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Milan), Luigi Cherubini (Benevento), Alphadjo Cisse (Milan), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC), Antonio Raimondo (Frosinone).

  • The Azzurri for Mancini

    So which Azzurrini did Roberto Mancini leave with Silvio Baldini, despite already wanting them with the senior squad? The pool is deep and the wider group is large, but some of those players already look ready for Italy now, or at least deserve a look.


    Among them are Alphadjo Cissé and Francesco Camarda of AC Milan, Luca Koleosho of Paris FC, Cher Ndour of Fiorentina and Niccolò Pisilli of Roma. Then there is Mattia Liberali of Como, Costantino Favasuli of Napoli and Pietro Comuzzo today at Torino.