The National Team are set to make their return to the pitch, and it’ll be their last chance to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. First, they’ll be up against North Macedonia at 20:45 CET on Thursday 24 March at the Stadio Renzo Barbera in Palermo. Should they progress, they’ll face either Portugal or Turkey in the final (either in Porto or Konya). For these crucial play-offs, Head Coach Roberto Mancini has called up 33 players, who will arrive at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre once their respective league fixtures this weekend are over.

Following their involvement in the team’s training camp at the end of January, Lazio defender Luiz Felipe and Cagliari striker Joao Pedro have officially received their first call-ups. Meanwhile, Mattia Zaccagni has been named in the Italy squad for a second time (after his call-up in November 2020). Matteo Politano, who last played for the Azzurri in their friendly against San Marino before the Euros, is also making a return, as are Stefano Sensi and Pierluigi Gollini, who have been absent since September 2021. Manuel Locatelli, who has tested positive for Covid-19, will join up with the squad once his period in isolation is over.

After training sessions on Monday and Tuesday, the National Team will travel to Palermo on Wednesday. In the afternoon, they’ll put the finishing touches to their preparations at the Stadio Barbera. The next day, after the game, they’ll return to Coverciano. Should they make it through to the final, the Azzurri will head to either Porto or Konya on the eve of the match (Monday 28 March).

ITALY VS. NORTH MACEDONIA. Italy have faced North Macedonia on two occasions, both times in 2018 World Cup qualifying, with Italy winning 3-2 in Skopje and drawing 1-1 in Turin. The Azzurri are set to play their 16th match in Palermo: they’ve won 13, drawn once and lost once there up to now, scoring 35 and conceding eight. In total, Italy have played 117 World Cup qualifying matches: they have 78 wins, 30 draws, nine defeats and 234 goals to their name, with 71 in the goals against column. The Azzurri remain unbeaten at home: they’ve won 48 of the 59 games they’ve played in Italy, drawing the other eleven (147 goals scored, 27 conceded); on the road, they’ve played 58 fixtures, winning 30, drawing 19 and losing on nine occasions (87/44).

PLAY-OFFS. Twelve teams were split into three play-off paths, each containing four teams. Three winners will emerge from these paths once the respective semi-finals and finals have been played. The draw placed Italy alongside North Macedonia, who they’ll play in the semis, Portugal and Turkey (who will come up against each other in the other semi-final). The winners of the final will book their spot in Qatar, while the semi-final losers will face each other in a consolation game. The Azzurri have been involved in the World Cup playoffs on two occasions: they were eliminated by Sweden in 2017 (2018 World Cup) and got the better of Russia in 1997 (1998 World Cup).

Looking ahead to who they could possibly play, Italy have faced Portugal a total of 27 times. The Azzurri’s record makes for good reading – 18 wins, three draws and just six defeats – even if they haven’t beaten the Portuguese since 2008 (a 3-1 friendly victory in Zürich) and have failed to win or even score in their last three meetings (one draw and two defeats). It’s a showdown that has taken place three times in Porto: two Azzurri wins and a victory for Portugal. As for Turkey, Italy have never been defeated by them, winning eight and drawing three of the previous eleven encounters between the sides. The Azzurri have scored 21 and conceded just five, with Orlando netting four and Rivera bagging a brace in a comprehensive victory in 1962. Their last meeting was at EURO 2020, with Mancini’s men running out 3-0 winners in Rome in the opening match of the tournament. Italy have never played in Konya before.

UNDER MANCINI. Appointed in May 2018, Roberto Mancini is approaching four years as Italy Head Coach. So far, his record reads as follows: 46 matches, 30 wins, 13 draws and three defeats (against France and Portugal in 2018 and Spain in 2021) for a total of 103 points (2.23 per game). Compared to his predecessors, Mancini can boast at having the best points tally (ahead of Pozzo 102, Sacchi 100, Vicini 99, Lippi 93, Valcareggi 89, Bearzot 81, Prandelli 80) and best points-per-game average (in front of Pozzo 2.16, Sacchi 2.13, Fabbri 2.06 and Vicini 2.05). In terms of the number of matches he’s been in charge of, he’s eighth in the all-time Azzurri ranking. Italy have scored 102 goals since he’s been at the helm (Belotti and Immobile are the top scorers with eight apiece), an average of 2.21 per game (the second-best average in National Team history, behind Pozzo’s Azzurri side – 2.45). At the other end, the Azzurri have conceded 23, an average of 0.50 per match (only Vicini’s team – 0.44 – have done better in this regard). Under Mancini, Italy have kept 26 clean sheets in 46 matches (a figure of 56%, only behind Vicini’s 62% – 34 clean sheets in 54 games). In terms of individual statistics, the current Head Coach has called up 82 different players from May 2018 until today, fielding 68. Jorginho (37 appearances, 3194’), Bonucci (37, 3136’) and Donnarumma (35, 3162’) have played the most minutes. There have been 36 debutants, the last of which was Scamacca (against Lithuania in September).

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Pierluigi Gollini (Tottenham), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon), Alessandro Florenzi (Milan), Luiz Felipe (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Stefano Sensi (Sampdoria), Sandro Tonali (Milan), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain);

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Joao Pedro (Cagliari), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo) Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Nicolò Zaniolo (Roma);

Schedule 

From Friday 18 to Sunday 20 March

Meet-up at the Coverciano Federal Technical Centre

Monday 21 March

13:45 – Press conference (Head Coach), Coverciano Auditorium (access for journalists and photographers*)

16:00 – Training, Campo V. Pozzo (open to journalists and photographers for first 15 minutes*)

Tuesday 22 March

13:45 – Press conference (player), Coverciano Auditorium (access for journalists*)

16:00 – Training, Campo V. Pozzo (behind closed doors**)

Wednesday 23 March

10:30 – Transfer from Florence to Palermo

17:30 – Press conference (Italy) at the Stadio Barbera in Palermo (access for journalists***)

18:00 – Training (Italy) at the Stadio Barbera in Palermo (open to the media for first 15 minutes***)

19:00 – Press conference (North Macedonia) at the Stadio Barbera in Palermo (access for journalists***)

19:30 – Training (North Macedonia) at the Stadio Barbera in Palermo (open to the media for first 15 minutes)

Thursday 24 March

20:45 Italy vs. North Macedonia

Followed by press conference and return to Coverciano***

Friday 25 March

16:00 – Training, Campo V. Pozzo (behind closed doors**)

Saturday 26 March

13:45 – Press conference (player), Coverciano Auditorium (access for journalists**)

16:00 – Training, Campo V. Pozzo (behind closed doors**)

Sunday 27 March

13:45 – Press conference (player), Coverciano Auditorium (access for journalists**)

16:00 – Training, Campo V. Pozzo (behind closed doors**)

Monday 28 March

TBC – Transfer to Oporto/Konya

TBC – Press conference (Italy)***

TBC – Training (Italy) (open to the media for first 15 minutes***)

TBC – Press conference (either Portugal or Turkey) (access for journalists***)

TBC – Training (either Portugal or Turkey) (open to the media for first 15 minutes***)

Tuesday 29 March

20:45 – Portugal/Turkey vs. Italy

Followed by press conference and return to Italy

*Depending on capacity, journalists and photographers will be granted access to the press conference and the first 15 minutes of the team’s training session on Monday 21 March

**From Tuesday 22 March, depending on capacity, only journalists will be granted access to press conferences. FIGC will distribute images of press conferences and training to media outlets on request once technical fees have been paid. For info, please contact Massimiliano Reale (FIGC Area Sales): email: m.reale@figc.it Tel.: 06.8491.3023.

***Media activities at the relevant match venues (MD-1 e MD) will be allowed for outlets with accreditation and as per exclusivity agreements with broadcasters. Access to press conferences will be limited depending on capacity.