More than four months since their last game, against Sweden – a game which the Under 21s won well, ending 2020 and their qualifiers journey in style by consolidating their place at the top of the group – the Azzurrini are ready to start a new chapter. Tomorrow, in their first clash of the Euros group stage, they will face off against the Czech Republic in Celje at 18:00 CET, the first of their three opponents in the group. 

“We haven’t had much time to work with,” Nicolato admitted in the press conference on the eve of the game “to prepare for this game, but I have faith in my boys. We are a young team, since the best youth players are rightly with the senior national side, but we are confident that we can play at our best against our opponents. Our group is difficult, the first match is essential. Right now what we need is to put the players in the right positions, which they know well and where they can play to their best, we don’t need new ideas. So we’re going at it with what we know, because there really isn’t time to learn anything new.” 

We almost have to win tomorrow, given that in the same group as the Azzurrini there is Spain, who have won three of the last five Euros, as well as Slovenia, the host country. This year’s Euros is different from all the others. Italy, as part of group B, will face off against Spain in Maribor on 27 March (at 21:00 CET) followed by the hosts Slovenia, also at Maribor, on 30 March (also at 21:00 CET). The top two sides in the group will go on to the quarter-finals, scheduled for 31 May, with the finals in Lubiana on 6 June.  

Several players will be missing, having been called up by Mancini for the senior side, but Nicolato is unperturbed: “Our side is a transition team. Seeing players like Kean, Tonali, Zaniolo and Pellegrini go to the senior side is a vindication of our work. We nevertheless need to be ambitious with the players that we have available.” 

The coach also hopes that Marchizza will be available: “He’s doing quite well. Tomorrow morning we will evaluate him to see if he is ready to play. We would be sorry to lose players before even starting.” Matteo Gabbia will be leading the defence, having made five appearances for AC Milan in the first eleven Serie A matchdays, but having to stop because of an injury to his medial collateral ligament. “It’s been a weird time,” he emphasised, “the injury stopped me in my tracks just when I was playing with consistency. But I’ve been lucky enough to play against Napoli and I felt good. I’m ready to play.” 

The Azzurrini qualified for the group stages after winning Group 1 with a four-point lead on Iceland and a six-point lead ahead of the Republic of Ireland, a journey that included eight wins, one draw and only one defeat, a home match against Sweden. They scored 27 goals and only conceded five, and are dreaming of triumph in Europe, 16 years after their fifth and last successful Euros campaign.  

The team list and shirt numbers 

Goalkeepers: 12 Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), 22 Michele Cerofolini (Reggiana), 1 Alessandro Plizzari (Reggina);
Defenders: 2 Raoul Bellanova (Pescara), 15 Enrico Delprato (Reggina), 3 Gianluca Frabotta (Juventus), 4 Matteo Gabbia (Milan), 6 Matteo Lovato (Hellas Verona), 5 Riccardo Marchizza (Spezia), 16 Lorenzo Pirola (Monza), 13 Luca Ranieri (Spal), 19 Marco Sala (Spal), 17 Gabriele Zappa (Cagliari);
Midfielders: 7 Davide Frattesi (Monza), 21 Giulio Maggiore (Spezia), 18 Tommaso Pobega (Spezia), 23 Samuele Ricci (Empoli), 14 Nicolò Rovella (Genoa), 8 Sandro Tonali (Milan);
Attackers: 10 Patrick Cutrone (Valencia), 9 Lorenzo Colombo (Cremonese), 20 Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), 11 Gianluca Scamacca (Genoa). 

The schedule 

(all times are CET)  

Tuesday 23 March  

11:00 – Training session at the Ob Jezeru stadium in Slovenia (the first 15 minutes will be open to the press) 

14:00 – Press conference via zoom (Nicolato + one player)  

19:00 Walk around the stadium  

Wednesday 24 March 

16:00 – Technical training before leaving for the Celje stadium 

18:00 – THE CZECH REPUBLIC VS ITALY. Followed by a press conference via zoom (Nicolato and two players) and moving to the Grand Hotel Primus in Pot v Toplice 9, 2251 Ptuj. 

Thursday 25 March  

10:45 – Video analysis before training (closed to the press) 

13:30 – Press conference at the Grand Hotel Primus 

16:00 – Technical training 

Friday 26 March 

11:00 – Training at the Ob Jezeru stadium in Slovenia (first 15 minutes open to the press 

14:00 – Press conference via zoom (Nicolato + one player)  

19:00 – Walk around the stadium 

Saturday 27 March  

19:00 – Technical training followed by departure for the Maribor stadium  

21:00 SPAIN VS ITALY. Followed by a press conference via zoom (Nicolato + one player) and return to the hotel 

Sunday 28 March  

10:45 – Video analysis before training (closed to the press) 

14:00 – Press conference at the Grand Hotel Primus 

16:00 – Technical training 

Monday 29 March  

11:00 – Training at the Ob Jezeru stadium, Slovenia (first 15 minutes open to the press)  

14:00 – Press conference via zoom (Nicolato + one player) 

16:00 – Technical training 

19:00 Walk around the stadium 

Tuesday 30 March 

19:00 Technical training before leaving for the Maribor stadium 

21:00 ITALY VS SLOVENIA followed by a press conference via zoom (Nicolato + two players) and return to the hotel 

Wednesday 31 March 

Flights depart from Maribor to Malpensa, followed by Malpensa to Fiumicino  

The four groups  

Group A: Hungary, Germany, Romania, The Netherlands 

Group B: Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, ITALY 

Group C: Russia, Iceland, France, Denmark  

Group D: Portugal, Croatia, England, Switzerland 

Azzurrini matches 

24 March: Czech Republic vs ITALY (18:00 CET, Celje) 

27 March: Spain vs ITALY (21:00 CET, Maribor) 

30 March: ITALY vs Slovenia (21:00 CET, Maribor)