An experimental Italian side will line up to face San Marino tomorrow evening at Cagliari’s “Sardegna Arena”, in the team’s penultimate warm-up game before the Euros. The friendly, as Coach Roberto Mancini himself underlined in the build-up, will ’mostly be a chance to work hard on our core ideas and take a closer look at some of the players”. He also announced the Starting XI during the press conference: Cragno in goal, a back-four of Toloi, Mancini, Ferrari and Biraghi, Cristante partnered by Ferrari and Biraghi in midfield and Bernadeschi, Kean and Grifo in attack. Raspadori will not start. “He is good, very competent technically - said Mancini - and I think he has a fantastic future. But he is not completely fit. If he recovers, sometime between today and tomorrow we will send him to the U21s, then we will make a judgement”. The first part of this training camp comes to an end tomorrow and will be followed by a week in Coverciano. Mancini is not hiding his ambitions: ‘I hope this squad can entertain the Italian fans at the Euros.

The National Team playing in major tournaments has always brought the nation together: even in difficult moments, the side has given the people a lift. Everything is going well, it was important that we had the opportunity to judge the players’ condition and do some recovery work. Then, clearly, from Monday the focus will shift completely in Coverciano”.

It’s a chance for some fresh air, as the Coach mentioned: “The boys are calm and relaxed. News from the transfer market? These things have always happened, the market always coincides with Euros and World Cups: ideally, these situations can be resolved in advance. But whatever happens, our players are mature and will deal with it accordingly”.

The Euros are coming up and, with that, will come tough choices. “They will be painful choices - explained Mancini - but I plan to get to 26 without adding any other players. We will see, though, a lot can change between now and 1 June. The medical staff are treating those with injuries. Pellegrini is improving day by day, Verratti is recovering quicker than expected and we will evaluate Sensi’s condition over the coming days. The possibility of re-lapses for him worry us, but we will do everything we can to take him with us to the tournament. We will hope to take the best 26 players to the Euros, especially those who fit and in form”.

Tomorrow evening, before the friendly against San Marino, a minute’s silence will be observed for the tragedy on the cable-car in Mottarone and the passing of Tarcisio Burgnich.

With not long to go until Euro 2020, the words of Giorgio Chiellini, a veteran of the Italian side, hold weight: “We have what it takes to do well. The other teams are very strong and we respect them. Every game will be difficult, but it is natural that we are going there to win. We can go far in the competition, we can get to Wembley. During Euro 2020, we must play with enthusiasm, whilst being carefree and a little bit mad. The thought of playing in front of 20,000 fans in Rome is incredible”.

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain);
Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Kean (Paris Saint-Germain), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo).

Italy's schedule (all times CEST)
Wednesday 26 May
10:30 - *Training at the Forte Village Resort (closed)
Thursday 27 May
10:30 – *Training at the Forte Village Resort (first 15 mins open)
12:00 – **Coach's press conference at the Forte Village Resort
Friday 28 May
20.45 – Italy vs. San Marino at the Sardegna Arena in Cagliari

*Images will be distributed by the FIGC
**Access limited to a reduced number of media members