Bernardo Corradi has called up 22 players for the friendly double header with France, as his Under-17 side prepare for Euros qualification. The squad will meet up on Sunday before heading out to France the morning after, with the games set to be played at France's national football centre, Clairefontaine. The first game is scheduled for Tuesday 21 February at 16:00 CET and the second two days later at 11:00 CET, ahead of the second Euro qualification phase in Cyprus from 7 to 13 March (Italy are in Group 6 alongside Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Ukraine). The top two in each group will go through to the Finals, staged in Hungary from 17 May to 2 June. To get to this stage, Corradi's side got maximum points beating Kosovo (5-2), Finland (4-0) and Greece (2-0) last October.

In the squad, there are three new faces: Alessandro Ciardi, (born in 2007 like two other Azzurrini Matteo Cocchi and Francesco Verde; the rest of the squad were all born in 2006), a talented Inter product who also spent time at FC Salzburg last January, and Diego Mascardi and Francesco Plaia, both goalkeepers from Spezia and Roma youth setups, respectively.

The Azzurrini have a slight better head to head record, with seven wins, one draw and six defeats. In the last four years though, Italy have dominated with five wins and a draw out of the last six meetings. 

Squad List

Goalkeepers : Diego Mascardi (Spezia), Francesco Plaia (Spezia);

Defenders: Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Fabio De Sole (Torino), Vittorio Magni (Milan), Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus), Giuseppe Matteo Plaia (Roma), Gabriel Ramaj (Atalanta), Alessandro Ventre (Juventus), Francesco Verde (Juventus);

Midfielders: Andrea Bonanomi (Atalanta), Francesco Crapisto (Juventus), Giacomo De Pieri (Inter), Alessandro Ciardi (Salzburg), Mattia Mannini (Roma), Gabriele Paolocci (Lazio), Lapo Deli (Fiorentina), Marco Romano (Genoa);

Forwards: Federico Ragnoli Galli (Atalanta), Emanuele Rao (SPAL), Tommaso Ravaglioli (Bologna), Filippo Scotti (Milan).

Staff: Head Coach, Bernardo Corradi; Youth Sector Coordinator, Maurizio Viscidi (since 21 Feb); Assistant Head Coach, Massimiliano Favo; Goalkeeping Coach, Davide Quironi; Fitness Coach, Adalberto Zamuner; Match Analyst, Andrea Loiacono; Medici,  Attilio Romano ed Emanuele Fabrizi; Nutrizionista, Claudio Pecorella; Fisioterapista, Fabrizio Casati; Segretario, Massimo Petracchini.