Olbia goalkeeper Filippo Rinaldi, Reggiana midfielder Alessandro Bianco and Burnley attacker Luca Koleosho are the new faces in Carmine Nunziata’s squad for the U21s’ Euro qualifying home match against Norway on Tuesday 17 October (kick-off scheduled for 17:45 CEST). After their trips to Latvia (a goalless draw) and Turkey (a 2-0 win), the Azzurrini have a very important home game coming up at the Stadio Druso in Bolzano against a team that sit on six points after their first two outings (14 goals scored and zero conceded).

Italy will meet up in the evening of Sunday 8 October at the Olympic Preparation Centre in Tirrenia before getting down to work the following morning. On Thursday, a friendly is scheduled against the Under-18 National Team, while the group will then depart for South Tyrol three days later, on Sunday. The U21s are set to play in Bolzano for the very first time. The city has previously staged an U18 match (Italy vs. Germany in February 2002) and two Italy Women fixtures (against Austria in December 1983 and Germany in March 2004).

At U21 level, Italy and Norway have previously met on nine occasions: they last did so during the European Championship in June, with the Norwegians eliminating the Azzurrini from the competition with a 1-0 victory in Cluj. Italy’s overall record against their next opponents reads as follows: four wins, three draws and two defeats. 

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Palermo), Filippo Rinaldi (Olbia), Gioele Zacchi (Giana Erminio)
Defenders: Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Diego Coppola (Verona), Daniele Ghilardi (Sampdoria), Gabriele Guarino (Empoli), Michael Olabode Kayode (Fiorentina), Lorenzo Pirola (Salernitana), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus), Mattia Zanotti (St. Gallen)
Midfielders: Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli), Alessandro Bianco (Reggiana), Edoardo Bove (Roma), Cesare Casadei (Leicester), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Jacopo Fazzini (Empoli), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Cher Ndour (Paris Saint-Germain), Matteo Prati (Cagliari)
Forwards: Lorenzo Colombo (Monza), Francesco Pio Esposito (Spezia), Luca Koleosho (Burnley), Marco Nasti (Bari), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Cagliari)

2025 UEFA EURO UNDER 21 QUALIFYING - GROUP A
Friday 13 October
14:00 Latvia vs. Republic of Ireland 
18:45: Turkey vs. San Marino
Tuesday 17 October
14:00 Latvia vs. Turkey
17:45: ITALY vs. Norway (Bolzano)

Standings (number of games played in brackets): Norway (2) and Republic of Ireland (2) 6, Italy (2) and Latvia (3) 4, Turkey (2) and San Marino (2) 0

ITALY’S CALENDAR
Tuesday 17 October (17:45): Italy vs. Norway (Bolzano)
Thursday 16 November: San Marino vs. Italy
Tuesday 21 November: Republic of Ireland vs. Italy
Friday 22 March 2024: Italy vs. Latvia
Tuesday 26 March 2024: Italy vs. Turkey
Thursday 5 September 2024: Italy vs. San Marino
Tuesday 10 September 2024: Norway vs. Italy
Tuesday 15 October 2024: Italy vs. Republic of Ireland