On Friday evening, against Latvia, Matteo Ruggeri ran up the clock-kilometre on the left flank. It was not the first time this has happened, nor will it be his last. As his Under 21 national team are preparing for Tuesday's match against Turkey at the stadio Paolo Mazza in Ferrara in Romagna at 18:15 CET, Ruggeri has become a mainstay, like for Gasperini's Atalanta, another team where the wingers clock up a lot of miles. They make a lot of crosses into the box, too, which Matteo is continuingly improving at: "From early age," Ruggeri tells figc.it, "I was good at this, but as you move up the age groups and levels it's essential to continue to improve at it. I really liked Kolarov and Marcos Alonso, but also Maldini. In today's game, I think Theo Hernandez is the best full-back around. Mine is a difficult and tiring role, but I wouldn't change it for any other role in the world."

Ruggeri studies from the best, coached by two coaches - Gasperini at Atalanta and Nunziata with Italy - who have known how to enhance his abilities: "They have both been vital for me, just as Atalanta have, investing in my development and in my job. In everyday life, I'm very lucky to be able to train under Gasperini, who encourages you to never settle and to go beyond your limits. The very high intensity training sessions lead you to keep up with the pace of the game. With Nunziata, we play in a different way to my club, but I know what he wants from me and the team, having already had him as head coach in the Under 17s: it's nice to be back working together in the Under 21s."

In his growth as the man Matteo and the footballer Ruggeri, his family and the environment surrounding him has been a major influence: from Zogno, where he grew up, to Bergamo. "At Atalanta, they look at the person first rather than the player; they give you the foundations to become a man. My family, on the other hand, taught me to stay humble by always remembering where you came from. My sister, Gaia, lives, studies and works in Spain; my father was often away on business and between one thing and another he was away. But we are very close, there is the WhatsApp group that helps us share our experiences together".

And then my friends: "I love spending my free time with them, with those who have always been there, which is rare in life and even more so in sport: you have to keep true friends close. My best friends' names are Kevin, Luca and Giorgio: I can always count on them, they give me advice when things aren't going well and always direct me on the right path. There are also my agents too (Castellini and Tinti), who give me that security."

Ruggeri arrived at the Cesenatico training camp after not playing the last league game, the one against Fiorentina, postponed due to the death of Joe Barone, who was remembered with a minute's silence before the game against Latvia in Cesena. "We had just arrived at the stadium in Bergamo when we were hit by the awful news," he recalls. "It was a tragedy for everyone, even if Barone's death had not yet been confirmed. I grew up five minutes from where Davide Astori grew up (San Pellegrino Terme), so it almost felt like I was reliving that tragedy. I send Barone's family a big hug and offer my condolences."

Italy, through the Under 21 national team, honoured Barone's memory in Cesena, and now want to do it in Ferrara as well. "On Friday, we started a little slowly," added Ruggeri in an interview with Domenica Sportiva, "but in the end finished positively, even if we should have sealed the result earlier. An even tougher match awaits us on Tuesday: we remember the reverse fixture and will come up against an organised Turkey side: we will have to have a strong defensive mentality, but if we play the way we know we can, we will be able to have further success and satisfaction." And for the Azzurri, the attackers will have extra weapons: Ruggeri's crosses, who in a few weeks' time will face Liverpool again, the team he made his debut in the Champions League against: "I remember the atmosphere at Anfield, crazy even without fans because of Covid. This time, though, there will also be a full house; it will be even more special."

SFUMATURE DI AZZURRO: The Museo del Calcio's travelling exhibition, after the success in Cesena, now moves on to Ferrara. Free entry from 09:00 until 19:00 CET on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26.

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), Lorenzo Colombo (Monza), Francesco Pio Esposito (Spezia), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Cagliari).

UEFA EURO UNDER 21 2025 - GROUP A

Friday 22 March:
San Marino 0-7 Ireland
ITALY 2-0 Latvia

Tuesday 26 March:
17:00 CET: Norway vs. San Marino
18:15 CET: ITALY vs. Turkey (live on Rai 2)

Standings (with games played in brackets): ITALY (6) 14 pts, Ireland (6) 13, Norway (5) 9, Latvia (6) 7, Turkey (5) 6, San Marino (6) 0

Italy's next fixtures:

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