Italy’s Head Coach Emiliano Del Duca has announced his squad of twelve players who will take part in the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The tournament will take place in Asunción, Paraguay and will be contested from 21 November to 1 December.

The Azzurri, who booked their place at this World Cup in Moscow last July, will take part in the tournament for the eighth time. The event marks the pinnacle of the sport of Beach Soccer and has been a biannual event since 2009: Italy’s best finish came in 2008 where they finished as runners-up in Marseille. The National Team will depart from Rome on Thursday 14 November as they prepare for their biggest challenge of the past two years. They will train from 15 to 20 November before their first match against Tahiti, which is scheduled to take place at 20:45 CET on Thursday 21 November. They will then take on Uruguay at 23:25 CET on Saturday, before playing Mexico in their final group stage game at 20:15 on Monday 25. If the Azzurri progress further in the tournament, the quarter-finals will take place on 28 November, the semi-finals on 30 November and the final on 1 December.

The squad is now confirmed, and Paolo Palmacci will play at his eighth Beach Soccer World Cup. It will be a seventh appearance on the highest stage for Captain Francesco Corosiniti. It will be a fifth time experiencing the World Cup first hand for goalkeeper Simone Del Mestre, fourth for Gabriele Gori and Dario Ramacciotti, third for Alessio Frainetti, Simone Mariani and Emmanuele Zurlo and a second time for Alfio Chiavaro. It will be the first time for three of the Azzurri squad: Andrea Carpita, Josep Jr and Marcello Perciamontani.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Andrea Carpita (Viareggio BS), Simone Del Mestre (Happy Car Samb BS);

Defenders: Alfio Chiavaro (Catania BS), Francesco Corosiniti (Catania BS);

Wide players: Alessio Frainetti (BS Terracina), Josep Junior (Sambenedettese BS), Simone Marinai (Viareggio BS), Paolo Palmacci (Catania BS), Dario Ramacciotti (Viareggio BS).

Forwards: Emmanuele Zurlo (Catania BS), Marcello Perciamontani (Happy Car Sambenedettese BS), Gabriele Gori (Viareggio BS).

Staff - Head Coach: Emiliano Del Duca; Head of Delegation: Massimo Agostini; Executive Accompayning Officer: Ferdinando Arcopinto; Secretary: Sabrina Filacchione; Assistant Coach: Michele Leghissa; Fitness Coach: Paolo La Rocca; Goalkeeping Coach: Antonino Nosdeo; Doctors: Alvise Clarioni and Monica Fabbri; Physiotherapist: Fabio Caliendo