The Under-17s' European adventure has ended in bittersweet fashion. Despite beating Slovenia 3-0 at the Telki Training Centre in Telki, the Azzurrini have failed to qualify for the next stages of the tournament and the next World Cup due to Spain's 1-1 draw with Serbia at the BSC Stadium in Budaörs. With a one-player advantage, after Slovenian goalkeeper Trivunčevic was sent off on 19 minutes, Italy won the tie in the second half through captain Mattia Mannini's brace (Roma), after 60' and 82 minutes, and substitute Giacomo De Pieri's goal (Inter) three minutes before the end of the regular 90.

"We played really well today," underlined a disappointed Bernardo Corradi "along the same lines as the first half against Spain and in parts against Serbia, in my opinion, correcting some mistakes that we made in those previous games. The fact the side and individual players have improved over the course of the tournament is a really positive outcome; we need to look at results but also at this aspect, too. Today's game was really tough because our destiny wasn't entirely in our hands, but we did our part. Personally, I wasn't worried about our result but what could happen in the other game because I was confident the lads would give a really strong performance."

The match. Bernardo Corradi made eight changes to the starting line-up that went down 2-0 to Serbia at the Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium last time out: Diego Mascardi (Spezia) replaced Tommaso Martinelli (Fiorentina), left out as a precaution following a slight injury issue; Edoardo Sadotti (Fiorentina) and Matteo Cocchi (Inter) in defence; Mannini, Lorenzo Riccio (Atalanta) and Mattia Liberali (Milan) in midfield, and Tommaso Ravaglioli (Bologna) and Seydou Fini (Genoa) up front.

The Azzurrini immediately started the game brightly, putting pressure on Slovenia, who after 19 minutes were reduced to ten due to Trivunčević's sending-off after he touched the ball with his hands outside the 18-yard area. The resulting free-kick, taken by Ravaglioli from Marco Romano's touch (Genoa), ended just wide when it looked like it had gone in. On the half-hour mark, first Cocchi, directly from a free-kick, and then Liberali, after being played through by Romano, both made substitute goalkeeper Čebulj work, before Mannini, finding himself in the centre of the box, fired high over the bar with his right at the end of the half. 

In the second half, after Riccio's right-footed effort was inches wide, Bernardo Corradi's lads broke the deadlock thanks to Mannini's great left-footed strike across the opposition's number 12. A minute later, Mascardi literally took off the top corner of the goal with a left-footed attempt from distance. After Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus) hit the post, Italy doubled their lead through Mannini again who, after a lovely one-two with Federico Ragnoli Galli (Atalanta), stroked the ball past Čebulj on 82'. In the closing stages, the Azzurrini hit the post a second time through Romano, before De Pieri, a 56-minute substitute replacing Vittorio Magni (Milan), added a third. That gave the players a few minutes of hope before the final whistle blew in the game between Spain and Serbia, but it wasn't to be as they played out a 1-1 draw, each earning themselves a place in the quarter-finals.

Slovenia 0-3 Italy

Slovenia (4-3-3) : Trivunčević; Bendra (58' Tomšič), Golič (C), Obrić (72' Mlakar), Kerin; Jelen, Veber, Soler; Topalović (20' Čebulj), Jakupović (58' Kutoš), Pejičić (46' Bakšič).
Unused subs: Kahvedžić, Bohinc, Voglar.
Head Coach: Brečko.

Italy (4-3-1-2) : Mascardi; Magni (56' De Pieri), Sadotti, Bassino, Cocchi (69' Pagnucco); Mannini (C), Riccio, Romano; Liberali (78' Rao); Ravaglioli, Fini (46' Ragnoli Galli).
Unused subs: Martinelli (GK), Ramaj, Mendicino, Vezzosi.
Head Coach: Corradi.

Referee: Elchin Masiyev (Azerbaigian).
Assistant 1: Elshad Abdullayev (Azerbaigian).
Assistant 2: Adam Jeffrey (Irlanda del Nord).
Fourth official: Jamie Robinson (Irlanda del Nord).

Scorers: 60' Mannini (Italy), 81' Mannini (Italy), 87' De Pieri (Italy).

Booked: 15' Veber (Slovenia), 23' Sadotti (Italy), 90'+4 De Pieri (Italy).
Sending-off: 19' Trivunčević (Slovenia).

Notes: Added time 4' and 4'. Corners: 3-15. Brečko (Slovenia) was booked for protesting on 26'.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Tommaso Martinelli (Fiorentina), Diego Mascardi (Spezia), Francesco Plaia (Spezia);
Defenders: Alessandro Bassino (Juventus), Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Alfonso De Luca (Napoli), Vittorio Magni (Milan), Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus), Gabriel Ramaj (Atalanta), Edoardo Sadotti (Fiorentina), Alessandro Ventre (Juventus), Giorgio Vezzosi (Sassuolo);
Midfielders: Lorenzo Carfora (Benevento), Francesco Crapisto (Juventus), Giacomo De Pieri (Inter), Gabriele Finocchiaro (Juventus), Cosimo Fiorini (Zurich), Mattia Mannini (Roma), Leonardo Mendicino (Atalanta), Lorenzo Riccio (Atalanta), Marco Romano (Genoa)
Forwards: Seydou Fini (Genoa), Mattia Liberali (Milan), Federico Ragnoli Galli (Atalanta), Emanuele Rao (SPAL), Tommaso Ravaglioli (Bologna), Filippo Scotti (Milan).

Staff - Coach: Bernardo Corradi; National Youth Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant coach: Massimiliano Favo; Goalkeeping coach: Davide Quironi; Fitness coach: Adalberto Zamuner; Match analyst: Andrea Loiacono; Doctor: Attilio Romano; Nutritionist: Claudio Pecorella; Press officer: Alessandro Paoli; School tutor: Stefano Presciutti; Physiotherapist: Enrico Matera; Secretary: Massimo Petracchini.

Schedule

Group B standings: Spain 7, Serbia 4, ITALY 3, Slovenia 3.

Matchday 1 (Thursday 18 May)
Serbia 2-4 Slovenia
ITALY 1-2 Spain

Matchday 2 (Sunday 21 May)
Spain 3-1 Slovenia
Serbia 2-0 ITALY

Matchday 3 (Wednesday 24 May)
Spain 1-1 Serbia (17:00 CEST, BSC Stadium in Budaörs)
Slovenia 0-3 ITALYT (17:00 CEST, Telki Training Centre in Telki)

Quarter finals (Saturday 27 May)

Under-17 World Cup tiebreaker (Tuesday 30 May)

Semi-finals (Tuesday 30 May)

Finals (Friday 2 June)