Italy Under-20 Coach Alberto Bollini has called up 30 players for a training camp which will take place in Tirrenia from Sunday 30 August to Saturday 5 September.

Italy’s journey to the Under-19 European Championship is not yet complete, with the tournament interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic after just the first stage of qualifiers. Bollini’s boys will now continue with their pursuit of qualification, resuming their preparations to face the elite phase of the continental competition in October. Save for a deterioration of the health situation, this second phase will see the Azzurrini up against Iceland, Slovenia and Norway in October, with only the team in first place from the group progressing to the final phase of the Euros (scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland and divided into two phases: a group stage in November and a final phase in March 2021). The Azzurrini will have to make it into the top five at the finals in Ireland in order to qualify for the Under-20 World Cup, which takes place in Indonesia from 20 May to 12 June 2021.

Of the 30 players called up, 22 were born in 2001 and eight in 2002. The new faces include Brescia defender Andrea Papetti for his first call-up to an Azzurri squad, as well as Inter youth player Gaetano Oristanio, who comes into this category for the first time after his starring role at the U17 World Cup last year in Brazil.

The Azzurri Coach wasn’t shy in showing his enthusiasm for a return to football for his side, with Alberto Bollini saying: “I’m so happy to get going again. So much time has passed, especially for those who, like me, are used to plenty of action on the pitch. Thanks to the internet, the contact between the coaching staff and the boys has never ceased in this period. This training camp is so important to start evaluating both the physical and mental condition of these players, as well as their footballing abilities both as individuals and as a collective: some of the boys haven’t played for around seven months and given the importance of the upcoming Euros, it will be important to get their fitness and understanding on the pitch back up to scratch. The three nations we’re facing in the next round haven’t stopped playing, and in September, once it’s time for me to figure out my final squad, it will be fundamental that the boys have got the necessary minutes back under their belts in order to face fierce opposition on a level footing.”

The squad list 

GOALKEEPERS: Federico Brancolini (Fiorentina), Alessandro Russo (Sassuolo), Stefano Turati (Sassuolo); 

DEFENDERS: Nicolò Armini (Lazio), Devid Eugene Bouah (Roma), Riccardo Calafiori  (Roma), Andrea Carboni (Cagliari), Davide Ghislandi (Atalanta), Paolo Gozzi Iweru (Juventus), Caleb Memeh Okoli (Atalanta), Andrea Papetti (Brescia), Lorenzo Pirola (Inter), Fabio Ponsi (Fiorentina), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta); 

MIDFIELDERS: Alessandro Cortinovis (Atalanta), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Jean Freddi Greco (Torino), Manu Emmanuel Gyabuaa (Atalanta), Federico Marigosu (Cagliari), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Inter), Alessio Riccardi (Roma), Nicolò Rovella (Genoa), Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang (Juventus), Destiny Udogye (Hellas), Emanuele Zuelli (Chievo); 

FORWARDS: Gianmarco Cangiano (Bologna), Lorenzo Colombo (Milan), Daniel Maldini (Milan), Elia Petrelli (Juventus), Roberto Piccoli (Atalanta). 

STAFF. Coach: Alberto Bollini; Assistant Coach: Giovanni Valenti; Athletic Trainer: Vito Azzone; Goalkeeping Coach: Graziano Vinti; Match Analyst: Leonardo Carletti; Doctors: Emanuele Fabrizi; Matteo Vitali; Nutritionist: Cristian Petri; Physiotherapists: Roberto Cardarelli (Until 02/09); Giuseppe Galli (From 02.09); Secretary: Aldo Blessich