The Stadio Erasmo Iacovone will host the Under-19 National Team’s friendly against Turkey at 11:30 CET on Wednesday 9 February. Head Coach Carmine Nunziata has called up 22 players for the game, 16 of whom were born in 2003 and six in 2004 (Riccardo Stivanello, Giacomo Faticanti, Luis Hasa, Tommaso Maressa, Tommaso Mancini and Samuele Vignato). There are two new faces: Napoli attacker Antonio Vergara and Sassuolo defender Edoardo Pieragnolo.

After the enforced break due to the pandemic, the U19s are set to play their first game this year. It comes three months on from their friendly double-header against Hungary (mid-November), which saw the team win 1-0 and lose 3-1 on the road.

The Azzurrini will get together at Noverello on Sunday evening before departing for Taranto in the afternoon the following day. At the end of the game, the players will return to their respective clubs.

A challenging test awaits Nunziata’s lads, who will be involved in the elite round of European qualification between 23 and 29 March. They’ve been drawn alongside Belgium, Germany and Finland (the hosts) in Group 5, with only the first-place side progressing to the finals in Slovakia in the second half of June.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Milan), Gioele Zacchi (Sassuolo);

Defenders: Nicolò Bertola (Spezia), Davide Gentile (Fiorentina), Daniele Ghilardi (Hellas Verona), Gabriele Mulazzi (Juventus), Luigi Palomba (Cagliari), Edoardo Pieragnolo (Sassuolo), Riccardo Stivanello (Bologna), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus);

Midfielders: Nicolò Cavuoti (Cagliari), Giacomo Faticanti (Roma), Samuele Giovane (Atalanta), Luis Hasa (Juventus), Tommaso Maressa (Juventus), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Filippo Terracciano (Hellas Verona);

Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino (Napoli), Tommaso Mancini (Vicenza), Luciano Valente (Groningen), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Samuele Vignato (Monza).

Staff: Head Coach, Carmine Nunziata; Delegation Head, Gianfranco Serioli; Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant Coach, Emanuele Filippini; Fitness Coach, Vito Azzone; Goalkeeping Coach, Fabrizio Ferron; Match Analyst, Marco Mannucci; Doctors, Luca Labianca and Lorenzo Sapegno; Physiotherapist, Giuseppe Galli; Nutritionist, Alessio Colli; Secretary, Aldo Blessich.