There is an air of positivity in Belfast after last night's victory over Northern Ireland that secured a place in the Under-19 European Championship semi-finals with a game to spare, and consequently booking a spot at the Under-20 World Cup, set to be played in Chile next year. An important milestone, strongly welcomed by the FIGC, that is being celebrated by Maurizio Viscidi, the National Youth Teams Coordinator.

“It'll be the first time we'll have taken part in four consecutive Under-20 World Cups, a competition that has always seen us finish in the final four in the last three editions” he said from Hotel Europa, the Azzurrini's headquarters in Belfast. “This means that Club Italia has worked with consistency, method and unity among all the technical and organisational departments. Over the years, we have always tried to build on the improvements made, making changes and investments to the structure to progress a technical programme that is providing excellent results".

Gritting your teeth during tough periods, studying and aiming to improve: “This is what we've tried to do," continued Viscidi. "A single person never wins, but a group that starts from the scouting area, fundamental in the FIGC, moving from the performance area, to the games and data analysts who study every detail, up to our coaches, who are an important element who are given the responsibility of managing, motivating and training the lads. Finally, there is the entire organisational department that is allowing us to face many games of a high standard: the growth of young players comes from these situations. When kids are placed in stimulating environmental and sporting conditions, that's where we take a step forward, creating the conditions for growth." It is an Italy that plays well and wins: "We are happy and proud of the results we are achieving, also because they are through good football. Now, we have a further step to take and that concerns duels. I want to see all the National Teams play well as a collective, but at the same time we have the ability to enhance individuals by winning offensive and defensive duels. In short, we must be able to create players who can make the difference, giving them the opportunity to play a team sport, such as football, in an individual way."

Viscidi goes into more detail: “Ours is a sport of passes and duels. The former train with certain methodologies and we have already made improvements in this. In the last 30 metres, however, football becomes a sport of duels. Our coaches have the input to stimulate, whoever has the ball, to challenge the opponent. If over the years we manage to perfect this then we will be able to become not only more entertaining and successful, but also more educational towards talent. The players, in fact, must interpret football differently based on the areas of the pitch: when it is in the build-up phase it must be a simple and more reasoned sport, but as you get closer to the goal the technical level must rise and creativity must also have a big part to play. It's a question of cognitive and decision-making processes: in football they are different in the build-up phase compared to the finishing phase. We must therefore train the players in duels, only in this way will we be able to create players of substance, avoiding to become sucked into a type of football that is, nowadays, always very we-organised on a tactical level: if we don't rediscover and train the talent then we risk every match to end 0-0."

Finally, Viscidi comments on the merits of these results: "If we have managed to have a consistency of good results with the National Youth Teams - for the Under 19s it is the fifth semi-final in the last seven editions - it cannot be the result of chance. The reform of the Primavera league has certainly had an impact, but great credit must also be given to the clubs because they coach the players. There are many managers in youth sectors that work hard, with clubs that have a great culture in their youth teams. I believe that a the standard of a player who is selected for a national youth team is the litmus test of the good work done."

UEFA EURO UNDER-19

Group A: Northern Ireland (hosts), Norway, Italy (holders), Ukraine
Group B: Demark, Türkiye, France, Spain

MATCHDAY 1

Group A, Monday 15 July
Italy 2-1 Norway | Seaview Stadium, Belfast
Northern Ireland 0-0 Ukraine | Inver Park, Larne

Group B, Tuesday 16 July
Denmark 1-2 Spain | Inver Park, Larne
France 2-1 Türkiye | Seaview Stadium, Belfast

MATCHDAY 2

Group A, Thursday 18 July
Norway 0-0 Ukraine | Seaview Stadium, Belfast
Northern Ireland 0-3 Italy | Inver Park, Larne

Table after Matchday 2
Gruppo A: Italy 6, Ukraine 2, Northern Ireland and Norway 1

Group B, Friday 19 July
Denmark 2-4 France | Inver Park, Larne
Türkiye 1-1 Spain | Seaview Stadium, Belfast

MATCHDAY 3

Group A, Sunday 21 July
Norway vs. Northern Ireland, 20:00 CEST | Seaview Stadium, Belfast
Ukraine vs. Italy, 20:00 CEST | Inver Park, Larne

Group B, Monday 22 July
Türkiye vs. Denmark, 20:00 CEST | Seaview Stadium, Belfast
Spain vs. France, 20:00 CEST | Inver Park, Larne

WORLD CUP UNDER-20 PLAY OFF

Thursday 25 July
3rd in Group A vs. 3rd in Group B, 17:30 CEST | Seaview Stadium, Belfast

SEMI-FINALS*

Thursday 25 July

S1: Winner of Group A vs. 2nd in Group B
S2: Winner of Group B vs. 2nd in Group A

*The matches will be played at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast at 15:00 and 20:00 CEST. The order of the semi-finals will be decided after the group stage.

FINAL

Sunday 28 July
S1 winner vs. S2 winner, 20:00 CEST | National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast