The National Under 19 team will start the new year facing Spain in a friendly match, as they prepare for the European Championships in Germany which is just two months away. At the end of March they will take on hosts Germany, Slovenia and Belgium. On Wednesday, January 18th (17.00 CET, live streamed on the FIGC website), on the same day as the match scheduled in Coverciano between the Under 18 National team against Spain, the Azzurrini will be in action at the 'El Pozuelo' stadium in Torremolinos for a test against one of the most prominent contenders for the European title.

Coach Alberto Bollini has called up 20 players, all of whom are 2004-born except Mane and Lipani (born in 2005). They will meet on Sunday 15 January at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Training Centre in Rome. Frosinone goalkeeper Lorenzo Palmisani and Borussia Dortmund defender Filippo Calixte Mane, who was called up last December by coach Roberto Mancini for the training camp, will feature for the first time with the Under-19 team.

The Under-19s celebrated their indirect qualification to the second phase of the tournament, having had to wait until the end of all the rounds to be confirmed as the best third placed side from the qualification phase. They return to face Spain three years after the draw (1-1) in the friendly played in Madrid in January 2020. The record of the 8 previous matches between the Under-19 national teams of Italy and Spain sees the Iberians ahead with 4 wins, 2 draws and 2 defeats.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Davide Mastrantonio (Triestina), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone);
Defenders: Lorenzo Dellavalle (Juventus), Enrico Giannini (Napoli), Michael Olabode Kayode (Fiorentina), Filippo Calixte Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Filippo Missori (Roma), Iacopo Regonesi (Atalanta), Riccardo Stivanello (Bologna);
Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Fiorentina), Giacomo Faticanti (Roma), Justin Kumi (Sassuolo), Luca Lipani (Genoa), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma);
Forwards: Federico Accornero (Genoa), Luca D’Andrea (Sassuolo), Luis Hasa (Juventus), Tommaso Mancini (Juventus), Antonio Raimondo (Bologna), Nicolò Turco (Juventus).

Staff – Coach: Alberto Bollini; Selector: Evaristo Beccalossi; Assistant coach: Enrico Battisti; Fitness coach: Marco Montini; Goalkeeper coach: Graziano Vinti; Match analyst: Francesco Donzella; Doctors: Paolo Manetti and Andrea Redler; Physios: Giuliano Gepponi and Tommaso Cannata; Nutritionist: Micol Purrotti; Secretary: Luca Gatto.