The UEFA EURO Under-21 Championship is drawing ever nearer. With just over 20 games to go before the tournament in Italy, Head Coach Luigi Di Biagio has called up 26 Azzurrini players for a training camp in Rome. The players involved in Serie B play-off matches will join the group once those games are over.

The team will meet up on 29 May (12:30 CEST) and will remain together until Saturday 8 June. During this time, they will train at Lazio’s Formello Sports Centre in what will comprise the first phase of their preparations. By midnight on Thursday 6 June, the Azzurrini’s Head Coach will confirm Italy’s 23-man squad for the tournament. After finishing off their preliminary preparations, the 23 Azzurrini players will get back together on Monday 10 June in Bologna, where the Under-21 National Team will be based for the entirety of the European Championship. They will then train at Bologna’s Niccolò Galli Training Centre in Casteldebole.

Italy have been placed in Group A and will play Spain on Sunday 16 June at Bologna’s Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in their opening match. Their remaining two group games are against Poland (Wednesday 19 June at 21:00 CEST in Bologna) and Belgium (Saturday 22 June at 21:00 CEST in Reggio Emilia).

For the first time in its history, Italy is hosting the final tournament. Twelve National Teams will be taking part, with places at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo also up for grabs. The Under-21 National Team has won the European Championship five times, including three consecutive wins under the guidance of Cesare Maldini in 1992, 1994 and 1996. In 2000, the Marco Tardelli’s Azzurrini side beat the Czech Republic through a Pirlo brace (he’s an official ambassador of the tournament), while Italy also emerged victorious in 2004, when they beat Serbia 3-0 in the final with Claudio Gentile as Head Coach. Spain come in just behind the Azzurrini with four titles.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Emil Audero (Sampdoria), Alex Meret (Napoli), Lorenzo Montipò (Benevento);
Defenders: Claud Adjapong (Sassuolo), Alessandro Bastoni (Parma), Kevin Bonifazi (Spal), Arturo Calabresi (Bologna), Davide Calabria (Milan), Fabio De Paoli (Chievo Verona), Federico Dimarco (Parma), Sebastiano Luperto (Napoli), Giuseppe Pezzella (Genoa), Filippo Romagna (Cagliari);
Midfielders: Francesco Cassata (Frosinone), Gaetano Castrovilli (Cremonese), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Rolando Mandragora (Udinese), Alessandro Murgia (Spal), Sandro Tonali (Brescia), Luca Valzania (Frosinone);
Forwards: Federico Bonazzoli (Padova), Patrick Cutrone (Milan), Simone Edera (Bologna), Gabriele Moncini (Cittadella), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Vittorio Parigini (Torino).

Staff – Delegation Head: Massimo Ambrosini; Team Manager: Vincenzo Marinelli; National Teams Co-ordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Head Coach: Luigi Di Biagio; Secretary: Mauro Vladovich; Assistant Coaches: Massimo Mutarelli, Carmine Nunziata; Fitness Coach: Vito Azzone; Goalkeeper Coach: Antonio Chimenti; Match analyst: Filippo Lorenzon; Doctors: Angelo De Carli and Luca Gatteschi; Nutritionist: Cristian Petri; Physiotherapists: Enzo Paolini, Alfonso Casano, Emiliano Bozzetti. National teams department: Manfredi Martino.

Schedule

Wednesday 29 May
Gather by 12:30 at C.S. Formello - Rome
13:30 Press conference with the Coach
16:30 Training (open to the media)

Thursday 30 May
10:30 Training (closed)
17:00 Training (closed)

Friday 31 May
10:30 Training (first 15 minutes open to the press)
13:30 Press conference with a player

Saturday 1 June
13:30 Press conference with a player
17:00 Training (first 15 minutes open to the press)

Sunday 2 June
17:00 Training (closed)

Monday 3 June
13:30 Press conference with a player
17:00 Training (first 15 minutes open to the press)

Tuesday 4 June
10:30 Training (closed)
17:00 Training (closed)

Wednesday 5 June
10:30 Training (closed)
13:30 Press conference with a player

Thursday 6 June
(Squad of 23 to be confirmed by 24:00)
10:30 Training/ Friendly (open to accredited media)

Friday 7 June
16:00 Press conference with the Coach
17:00 Training (first 15 minutes open to the press)

Saturday 8 June
10:30 Training (closed)
13:00 Lunch
Training camp to end and players return home

Media information

For the preliminary camp in Formello, media accreditation will be granted to Odg/AIPS card holders.
For the camp at Casteldebole from 10 June, media activities can be accessed by going through the UEFA Accreditations process.

For more information:
Alessandro Salerno – Press office FIGC U-21
Email: a.salerno@figc.it
Tel. +39 06 8491 2133 / +39 333 252 3399