The tests, or rather the early finals, never end for the National Under 21s, which, after winning yesterday the first match of their European Championship by overcoming Switzerland 3-2, will play with everything on the line in the third and final match of the round against Norway (Wednesday 28 June, 20:45 CEST - live on Rai 1).

The win over the Swiss (the match broadcast on Rai 2 was watched by 1,953,000 viewers with a share of 18%), allowed the Azzurrini to take a step forward towards qualification, but the final ninety minutes will be decisive to know the fate of all four teams in the group. By beating Norway, who still have some chance of qualification, Italy would go through to the quarter-finals, unless in the other group match, Switzerland were to beat France by a single goal and score more than two goals at the same time (3-2, as well as 4-3 or 5-4 for the Swiss, would send France and Switzerland arm in arm to the quarter-finals). A remote but not implausible scenario. It must be said that Italy could also be satisfied with a draw with Norway, should Switzerland fail to beat France, and could even go through with a defeat. But it is better not to make too many calculations and in the meantime think about winning on Wednesday against Norway who, after losing by a narrow margin in the opening match against Switzerland (2-1), last night created lots of problems for France, and nearly made it 1-1 in the final minutes.

Edoardo Bove, who was on the bench for ninety minutes against France and played as a starter yesterday by Nicolato, thinks so too. The Roma midfielder put in a big shift, staying in the hotel this morning for a light workout with the other Azzurrini who played from the first minute against Switzerland, while the rest of the group trained on the pitch at the UBB Training Center in Cluj-Napoca.

"We played a great first half," he said at the press conference, "both in and out of possession, and we could have scored even more than three goals. In the second half we started badly, we conceded a goal and then another. There was a moment when we were no longer so sure of what we were doing, then we came back into the game and suffered like the great group we are. I see this suffering as a strength, it was not to be taken for granted."

In his eighth Under 21s appearance after a season that saw him carve out a starring role with his own club, the Roma midfielder explains what his strengths are: "Aggression and the ability to fight back, I think I can call myself a worker. I always give my best and never back down."

The experience gained in European competitions and an exponentially increased number of minutes in recent months allowed him to mature quickly: "My season can be divided into two parts, in the first I played less and in the second I found more consistency. But they were moments of growth for a young man like me, because you learn when you don't play and when you do. Certainly arriving at the European Championship with more minutes in my legs gave me a big advantage. It's been a long season, but I hope to have less holiday and get as far as I can in this tournament." Like all Azzurrini, he emphasises that the strength of this team goes beyond the value of individuals: "We have bonded a lot and yesterday's victory is proof of our bond. I was lucky enough to play two European finals with Roma and I know that if the group is not united you don't make it to the end of these competitions. The cohesion of the group is our strength."

Yesterday, Gnonto and Parisi scored their first goals for the Under 21s, he will try to imitate them in the next matches: "I am happy for them, they deserve it. Hopefully the goal will come for me too as soon as possible." Maybe on Wednesday, in another huge game: "Norway are a tough team, we saw them play against both Switzerland and France. They are capable of causing us problems, but with the right approach and mentality we can play a great game." An attempt to find out more about the next opponent from his club-mate Ola Solbakken was unsuccessful: "I tried, but he didn't give me much information."

His final comment is on Mourinho and Nicolati, two apparently different coaches but who have both been important in his growth as a player: "Mourinho gave me the opportunity to play at the highest level, I can only thank him. Nicolato has also always had faith in me and I'm really grateful to him for that. Every coach has his own way of seeing football and helps the players understand what to do on the pitch to make their visions come true."

Fixtures, results and standings of Group D

 

First matchday (22 June)

Norway 1-2 Switzerland

France 2-1 ITALY

 

Second matchday (25 June)

18:00 CEST: Switzerland 2-3 ITALY 

20:45 CEST: Norway 0-1 France

Standings: France 6, Switzerland 3, Italy 3, Norway 0

 

Third matchday (28 June)

20:45 CEST: Switzerland v France (Constantin Radulescu Stadium, Cluj-Napoca)

20:45 CEST: ITALY v Norway (Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca)