The National Team’s journey towards EURO 2024 continues. After picking up four points in September (a draw against North Macedonia and a win over Ukraine in Milan), Italy will return to the pitch against Malta (14 October, Stadio San Nicola in Bari) and England (17 October, Wembley Stadium in London). The Azzurri currently sit second in Group C on seven points together with Ukraine and North Macedonia, six points behind England but with a game in hand over the rest of the group.

Head Coach Luciano Spalletti has called up 27 players for the team’s two upcoming fixtures: Destiny Udogie, who had previously taken part in special training camps for players of interest for the First Team, has now earned his first official call-up, while Giacomo Bonaventura and Moise Kean, who have been respectively absent since October 2020 and October 2021, are set to return to the Azzurri fold.

The group will meet up on Sunday evening at Coverciano, where they’ll remain until Friday 13 October before heading to Bari. Following their match at the Stadio San Nicola, the Azzurri will return to the Federal Technical Centre to begin their preparations for England, with their departure for London scheduled for Monday 16 October.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Inter), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
Forwards: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Moise Kean (Juventus), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Nicolò Zaniolo (Aston Villa).

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

ITALY VS. MALTA. The National Team are set to return to Bari after last playing there just over 7 years ago: a 3-1 defeat to France in September 2016 in Ventura’s first game in charge. That game is also remembered for the first official VAR test in Italy. It’s the only loss the Azzurri have suffered at the Stadio San Nicola, where they’d previously won nine and drawn once in ten matches. Italy have a strong record against Malta: nine wins in nine matches (five away victories and four at home).

ENGLAND VS. ITALY. Italy are set to play their eighth match at Wembley, where they’ve won on two occasions after 90 minutes: on 14 November 1973, a Capello goal secured the Azzurri’s first win at the home of English football, while Zola netted the winner when the two teams met in World Cup qualifying on 12 February 1997 (England went on to top the group, with the Azzurri defeating Russia in the playoffs). Then, there was the EURO 2020 final, which finished 1-1 before Italy triumphed on penalties. The two nations have met 31 times in total, with the overall record favouring the Azzurri: 11 wins for Italy, nine for England and eleven draws.