It was a day of build-up at Coverciano; the day before another warm-up test ahead of UEFA Euro 2020 (a match against the Czech Republic at 20:45 in Bologna, live on Rai 1) Coach Roberto Mancini and Emerson Palmieri spoke to the press at the Media Centre. 

“Tomorrow’s challenge - underlined the Coach straight away - will be a good test, because the Czechs are a technically strong side, that play attacking football. As regards who will play, Emerson and Spinazzola will likely switch at left-back in a four. Similarly, in attack, Chiesa and Berardi will take turns. 

In central-midfield, Sensi has recovered but we will not risk Pellegrini, even though he is OK now; we will decide together with the player whether to rest Jorginho. Verratti is not yet available, even though he has made great strides. We will evaluate him in about a week.

Although it is still a few days away, the 11 that will start tomorrow could resemble the starting XI for the game against Turkey.

Tomorrow Immobile or Belotti will start up-front: they are very similar strikers so, for that reason, unless a game needs a final push at the end, they might struggle to play together. Taking Raspadori into account as well - and he has extraordinary technical qualities that make him different from the other two - we have three strikers: if we want to go as far as possible in the Euros, we will need all three.”

The Coach also spared a thought for the U21 side after they were knocked out of the U21 Euros in extra-time after a thrilling quarter-final game with Portugal: “Beyond the result, I want to give them my utmost compliments, because they played very well against a top opposition”.

Emerson Palmieri, fresh from winning the Champions League with Chelsea (alongside club and international teammate Jorginho), will play some part against the Czech Republic, even if not for the whole 90 minutes: “We are delighted to have conquered Europe with our club - said the Chelsea full-back - but from Tuesday, when we got to Coverciano, we have reset and put to one side everything that we did with our club: now our objective is to do our best at the Euros.

Tomorrow’s game will be a considerable test and we want to continue on the path we have been on for the past two years. We have built a winning mentality and have to keep working in that way: hard and humble. That is the only way that can we reach our goals.”

 

Below is Italy’s full Euro 2020 squad: 

Goalkeepers: 21 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), 26 Alex Meret (Napoli), 1 Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);
Defenders: 15 Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), 23 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), 19 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), 3 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 2 Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), 13 Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), 24 Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint Germain), 4 Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), 25 Rafael Toloi (Atalanta);
Midfielders: 18 Nicolò Barella (Inter), 16 Bryan Cristante (Roma), 8 Frello Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Chelsea), 5 Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), 7 Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), 12 Stefano Sensi (Inter), 6 Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);
Forwards: 9 Andrea Belotti (Torino), 11 Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), 20 Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), 14 Federico Chiesa (Juventus), 17 Ciro Immobile (Lazio), 10 Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), 22 Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo).

 

 

Itinerary (all times CEST) 

Thursday 3 June
**17:15 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at Media Centre
* 18:00 – Training (behind closed doors except first 15 mins) 

Friday 4 June
20:45 – Friendly vs. Czech Republic at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna

Saturday 5 June
*11:00 – Training match vs. Italy Under-20s (behind closed doors)
Sunday 6 June
By 22:00, meet-up at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre

Monday 7 June
**14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 8 June
**14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Wednesday 9 June
**14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors) 

Thursday 10 June
11:00 – Florence-Rome transfer
**17:45 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome
*18:30 – Training at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome (behind closed doors except first 15 mins)

Friday 11 June
*11:00 – Training at the Olympic Center Giulio Onesti (behind closed doors)
21:00 – Italy vs. Turkey at the Stadio Olimpico. Press conference/media duties after full-time.

Saturday 12 June
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Sunday 13 June
** 14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Monday 14 June
** 14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Tuesday 15 June
11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome
**16:45 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at Hotel Parco dei Principi
*19:15 – Training at the Olympic Center Giulio Onesti (behind closed doors except first 15 mins)

Wednesday 16 June
21:00 – Italy vs. Switzerland at the Stadio Olimpico. Press conference/media duties after full-time. 

Thursday 17 June
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Friday 18 June
** 14:00 – Players meet media
*17:00 – Training (behind closed doors)

Saturday 19 June
11:00 – Transfer Florence-Rome
**16:45 – Press conference, Coach + 1 player at Hotel Parco dei Principi
*19:15 – Training at the Olympic Center Giulio Onesti (behind closed doors except first 15 mins)

Sunday 20 June
18:00 – Italy vs. Wales at the Stadio Olimpico. Press conference/media duties after full-time. 

N.B. Timetables are subject to possible change
* photos will be taken and shared by FIGC 
**media access will be limited to reduced numbers