The National Under-19 team, reigning European champions, are all set in Friuli-Venezia Giulia to kick off their defence today (15:00, live on the FIGC website) - won last July in Malta - as they face Scotland in Lignano Sabbiadoro on the matchday 1 in Group 5 of the European Championships Elite phase.

"I feel very connected to Friuli-Venezia Giulia as I had the pleasure of playing here as a footballer for two seasons" (Udinese from 2009 to 2011), underlined head coach Bernardo Corradi in the game's pre-match press conference, which took place in the early afternoon in the press room at the stadio Guido Teghil. "Speaking of the boys, I can say that they feel the responsibility of wearing the Azzurri shirt. They are lucky to be able to do it and they must be good at holding on to it and honouring it: they must never forget the values in which we at the national team believe in and represent." Someone who certainly represents these values is the captain, Luca Lipani, who became European champion with the Under 19s and vice-World champion with the Under-20 team last season: "Playing in this competition again is an honour," the 2005-born Sassuolo midfielder. "We must do our utmost to behave 'like Italy', both on and off the pitch: we aim to win the group". It's a group which, after the match against the Scots, will see the Azzurrini face the Czech Republic on Saturday 23 (16:30 CET) at the Friuli in Udine and, finally, against Georgia on Tuesday 26 March (14:30 CET), again in Lignano Sabbiadoro. The three previous games at the Teghil for the Under 19s has seen a 100% win record for Italy, as the president of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Regional Committee, Ermes Canciani, reflected on in the press conference: "We hope that it can be a good omen to the team and to the Coach, who I thank for the kind words he said about the facilities and the organisation during the friendly in February (Italy 3-0 Austria): we are a small region but we try to do things well". Friuli-Venezia Giulia was also represented in the press conference by the sports councillor of the Municipality of Lignano Sabbiadoro, Giovanni Iermano, and by the mayor of Manzano, Pietro Furlani, who will host the three other Group 5 group matches, at the stadio Giuseppe Morigi in Manzano, the Azzurrini are not involved in in this second phase of qualifying.

Only top spot in each of the seven groups of the elite phase will guarantee qualification to the final phase of the competition, scheduled from 15 to 28 July in Northern Ireland, with the winners of each group going on to join the hosts.

Squad List

Goalkeepers: Renato Bellucci Marin (Roma), Federico Magro (Lazio);
Defenders: Wisdom Amey (Bologna), Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Cristian Chiarodia (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Christian Corradi (Hellas Verona), Filippo Calixte Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus), Marco Palestra (Atalanta);
Midfielders: Aaron Ciammaglichella (Torino), Luca Di Maggio (Inter), Jonas Harder (Fiorentina), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Mattia Mannini (Roma), Marco Romano (Genoa), Kevin Zeroli (Milan);
Forwards: Lorenzo Anghelè (Juventus), Giulio Misitano (Roma), Simone Pafundi (Losanna), Diego Sia (Milan).

Staff - Head of Delegation: Gianfranco Serioli; National Youth Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Head Coach: Bernardo Corradi; Assistant Coach: Mirco Gasparetto; Goalkeeping Coach: Graziano Vinti; Fitness Coach: Marco Montini; Match Analyst: Francesco Donzella; Doctors: Paolo Manetti and Cristiano Benelli; Physiotherapists: Giuliano Gepponi and Tommaso Cannata; Nutritionist: Micol Purrotti; School Teacher: Gabriele De Fraia; Press Officer: Alessandro Paoli; Secretary: Aldo Blessich.

Grou 5 fixture schedule (from 20 to 26 March)

Matchday 1 (Wednesday 20 March)
15:00 CET: Scotland vs. ITALY (Stadio Guigo Teghil in Lignano Sabbiadoro)*
12:00 CET Georgia vs. Czech Republic (Stadio Giuseppe Morigi in Manzano)

Matchday 2 (Saturday 23 March)
16:30 CET: Czech Republic vs. ITALY (Stadio Friuli in Udine)*
12:00 CET Scotland vs. Georgia (Stadio Giuseppe Morigi in Manzano)

Matchday 3 (Tuesday 26 March)
14:30 CET: ITALY vs. Georgia (Stadio Guigo Teghil in Lignano Sabbiadoro)*
14:30 CET: Czech Republic vs. Scotland (Stadio Giuseppe Morigi in Manzano)

*live on the FIGC website.