Balanced, both on the field and in life. Matteo Mantini, midfielder born in 2007, of Inter and Italy Under 17's, is a modest but very solid young man who, over the season, has managed to win over coach Massimiliano Favo. After calling him up for the Group Tournament in November, Favo put his faith in him, making him an essential element of his tactical lineup.

"I've always dreamed of being here," confessed the Azzurri midfielder. "This is the first official competition I've played with a national youth team, and it's a unique experience. I thank coordinator Viscidi and coach Favo for giving me this opportunity, and above all, Inter for helping me grow by allowing me to compete at certain levels". Levels achieved by the Nerazzurri midfielder through great sacrifice and hard work, both on and off the field. "I'm a fortunate guy," emphasised Mantini, "because I have the opportunity to do what I love at the highest levels for my age; play football. With the fortune comes great responsibility, which is why I constantly strive, both in training and in matches, listening carefully to all the advice I'm given". Advice that has led him to be one of the protagonists of the Azzurrini who, tomorrow (at 17:00 CEST, live on Rai Sport and UEFA TV) at the Paralimni Municipal Stadium 'Tasos Markou', will face Sweden, already guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals thanks to the first place in Group C mathematically achieved in the previous match. "We play to win, because we want to finish the group with a perfect score. We are a great group, both technically and in terms of character, and we can go all the way."

Born on 27 August 2007, in Piove di Sacco, Padua, to father Stefano and mother Maria Paola. He kicked his first ball at the age of 5 in Piovese, a Venetian amateur club, driven by the desire to emulate his schoolmates ("when I played with them, I couldn't get hold of a ball"). After two seasons in white and red, he joined the youth sector of Padova, the same club where his younger brother Luca, born in 2009, currently plays and won the Under 14 Pro Tournament last year at Coverciano. Thanks to his coach at the time, Luca Nadalet, he found his current position on the field "I used to play as a central defender and he decided to move me up to midfield" said Mantini, before moving to Inter in September 2021. In Nerazzurri this season, he is one of the most utilised players in Tiziano Polenghi's Under 17's with 23 appearances (1374 minutes played) and 1 goal: "If I'm managing to do all this," says the young Azzurri, "it's thanks to my family who, in the moments when things weren't going well, were always there for me. In particular, my father, a former amateur footballer, who dedicated a lot of time to play with me when I was very young, in a field near our house. He taught me everything he knew. A beautiful memory". Who knows, perhaps Mantini, in Cyprus, can give his father, and all of Italy, another beautiful memory.

UEFA European Under-17 Championship

Group Phase

Group A: Cyprus, Ukraine, Serbia, and Czech Republic.
Group B: Denmark, Austria, Croatia, and Wales.
Group C: ITALY, Sweden, Slovakia, and Poland.
Group D: France, Portugal, Spain, and England.

Group C Schedule

Matchday 1 (Tuesday 21 May)
Slovakia 0-0 Sweden
ITALY 2-0 Poland

Matchday 2 (Friday 24 May)
ITALY 2-0 Slovakia
Sweden 2-2 Poland

Table: ITALY* 6 points, Sweden 2, Slovakia and Poland 1.

*mathamatically qualified for the quarter finals.

Matchday 3(Monday 27 May)
18:00 local time (17:00 CEST):Sweden v ITALY, Municipal Stadium 'Tasos Markou', Paralimni
18:00 local time (17:00 CEST): Poland v Slovakia, Achnas Stadium, Dasaki

Elimination round

Quarter Finals (Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May)

Semi Finals (Sunday 2 June)

Final (Wednesday 5 June)