Young Matteo was a ball bal at the Dino Manuzzi, observing the players from under the Curva Mare and dreaming of growing up to be just like them; Prati, now, is a Serie A player and will play in the game against Latvia on Friday in Cesena. The Cagliari midfielder is living his dream this week in ‘his’ Romagna: born in Ravenna, he played for Cesena and Spal. The latter plays in the stadium that will host the game against Turkey on Tuesday 26 in the second qualifier for the Under 21 Euros this international break. Parti spoke from the camp in Cesenatico: “Being back here, feels like home. I can’t wait for Friday and to play in a stadium where I have great memories. How many people are coming to watch? Friends and family, I think around 15 of them”.

Of his memories at the Manuzzi, there is also Prati’s time as a ball boy: “The first thing that comes to mind is a game against Palermo. I was under the Curva Mare, Dybala came to take a corner, I gave him the ball and he winked at me”. Now, for Prati who two years ago was playing for Ravenna in Serie D, Dybala and many other players are the opposition. And it was his performances with SPAL in Serie B last season that brought him to Cagliari, in Serie A.

“It’s normal for there to be highs and lows, also as I am on the pitch with players who I was watching on TV just a few months ago. With the everyday work, though, I am finding some consistency and I am convinced that by remaining focused and training well, the results will come. The year in Serie D with Ravenna? It contributed a lot to who I am today: if I had to do it all again, I would make the same choice. There was talk of family in the changing room, of big things: I was still a kid, but all of this helped me to grow”.

The rest followed, including the call-up for the Under 20 World Cup in Argentina, with the very same Carmine Nunziata in charge, with Italy only losing in the final against Uruguay. Prati scored his first goal of the tournament against Brazil. “An amazing experience, to which I’m adding another one with the Under 21s, the next step to the senior side. We have a qualification to win, we will give our everything to these two games”.

 Aside from Nunziata, two other coaches have helped Prati in his growth: De Rossi, last year at SPAL and now at Roma, and Ranieri, current Cagliari coach. “I would also add Venturato and Oddo, both at SPAL. Both of them gave me something with their ideas: if I am here now, it is also thanks to them”. At Cagliari, things are going better recently: “After the game against Lazio, we looked hard at each other in the changing room and things have changed. We are a united squad that wants to save itself: we owe it to the fans, the people of Sardinia”.

Prati, who is part of the ex-Cesena ‘old guard’ with Turicchia and Casadei, played as a striker: when put back in the spotlight, he focused on his idol. "Busquets, the best in that position” he admitted. “I like playing with the ball at my feet, but I always try to be there for my teammates, we share an objective: make the most of these two matches to finish top of the group”. If 6 points were to be won between Romagna, where he grew up walking the seafront, and Emilia, where he spent his first year as a professional player Prati would truly feel like he had won at home.

FROM THE PITCH. The Italy Under 21s were out in training at the San Mauro Pascoli with three days to go until Friday’s game against Latvia at 18:15 CET (live on RAI 2)/ Roma midfielder, Edoardo Bove, has left the camp at Cesenatico due to a problem with his foot.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Palermo), Filippo Rinaldi (Olbia), Gioele Zacchi (Giana Erminio);
Defenders: Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Diego Coppola (Hellas Verona), Daniele Ghilardi (Sampdoria), Michael Olabode Kayode (Fiorentina), Lorenzo Pirola (Salernitana), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus), Mattia Zanotti (San Gallo)
Midfielders: Alessandro Bianco (Reggiana), Cesare Casadei (Chelsea), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Jacopo Fazzini (Empoli), Luis Hasa (Juventus), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Cher Ndour (Braga), Matteo Prati (Cagliari), Franco Tongya (Aek Larnaca), Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo);
Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino (Catanzaro), Tommaso Baldanzi (Roma), Lorenzo Colombo (Monza), Francesco Pio Esposito (Spezia), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Cagliari).

UEFA EURO UNDER 21 2025 - GROUP A

Friday 22 March
18:00 – San Marino vs. Republic of Ireland
18.15 – ITALY vs. Latvia

Tuesday 26 March
17:00 – Norway vs. San Marino
18:15 – ITALY vs. Türkiye

Table (number of games played in brackets): ITALY (5) 11 points, Republic of Ireland (5) 10, Norway (5) 9, Latvia (7) 5, Türkiye (5) 6, San Marino (5) 0

ITALY’S NEXT FIXTURES

Thursday 5 September: Italy vs. San Marino
Tuesday 10 September: Norway vs. Italy
Tuesday 15 October: Italy vs. Republic of Ireland

Schedule

Wednesday 20 March
13:15 – player press conference (Zoom and in person)
15:30 – training at the Stadio Macrelli in San Mauro Pascoli (open to the press)

Thursday 21 March
11:00 – allenamento presso Stadio Macrelli di San Mauro Pascoli (closed to the press)
14:15 – press conference with Nunziata (Zoom and in person, at the Grand Hotel da Vinci)
tbc. Walkaround at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi in Cesena

Friday 22 March
18:15 – ITALY vs. Latvia (Stadio Dino Manuzzi in Cesena)

press conference to follow

Saturday 23 March

11:00 – training at the Stadio Macrelli in San Mauro Pascoli (open to the press)

Sunday 24 March
Ore 11: allenamento presso Stadio Macrelli di San Mauro Pascoli (open to the press)

Monday 25 March
11:00 –allenamento presso Stadio Macrelli di San Mauro Pascoli (closed to the press)
14:15 – press conference with Nunziata (Zoom and in person, at the Grand Hotel da Vinci)
tbc. Walkaround at the Stadio Paolo Mazza in Ferrara

Tuesday 26 March
18:15 – ITALY vs. Türkiye (Stadio Paolo Mazza in Ferrara)
press conferences and departures to follow