Matteo Ruggeri can already call himself a European champion. The Atalanta player won the Europa League last May, even chipping in with a goal in the semi-final against Olympique Marseille to write an indelible page in his club's history. There is another one to be written with Italy U21 too, who, after Friday's draw against France in Empoli, are back in action on Tuesday at 6.15pm in La Spezia against Ukraine, in the second test of this November window, the first of the two for Carmine Nunziata’s side as they prepare for Slovakia 2025.

Ruggeri, who made his debut for the U21s two years ago, wants to be a key part of the EURO 2025 adventure. “We must not set ourselves any limits,” he said in an interview which aired tonight on La Domenica Sportiva. “My experience with Atalanta made me understand that everything can be done. We never expected to win the Europa League, but we did it and this must push us to believe in the goal.”

The impressions left by the match against France are good: Italy were solid, cracking only briefly in the middle of the second half as France scored through Cherki and Atangana after the goals from Casadei and Ambrosino. “We played well. We are on the right path and we must continue like this. The group is very tight-knit and has quality, but we must not settle, that would be the biggest mistake we could make. If we do, Nunziata will take care of it and bring the attention back to the highest level: Both he and Gasperini always say never to settle.”

Ruggeri has no desire to slow down: “The dream is obviously to one day reach the First Team, but now I’, focusing on the Under-21s.”

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Palermo), Jacopo Sassi (Modena), Gioele Zacchi (Latina);
Defenders: Nicolò Bertola (Spezia), Giovanni Bonfanti (Pisa), Diego Coppola (Hellas Verona), Daniele Ghilardi (Hellas Verona), Gabriele Guarino (Carrarese), Michael Olabode Kayode (Fiorentina), Marco Palestra (Atalanta), Lorenzo Pirola (Olympiacos), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta), Riccardo Turicchia (Catanzaro), Mattia Zanotti (Lugano);
Midfielders: Cesare Casadei (Chelsea), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Fabio Miretti (Genoa), Cher Ndour (Besiktas), Matteo Prati (Cagliari);
Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino (Frosinone), Francesco Pio Esposito (Spezia), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds), Simone Pafundi (Lausanne), Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo)