Croatia will provide the first test of the new season for the National Futsal Team prior to the Main Round qualification phase for the FIFA futsal World Cup. The Azzurri will play two friendlies against Mato Stanković’s side on Monday 23 September and Tuesday 24 September in Veneto, with kick-off scheduled for 20:30 CEST on both occasions.

The first game will take place at the Kioene Arena in Padua, while the second will be held at the PalaMaser in Maser, located in the Province of Treviso. It will be free to come and watch both matches and entrance information will be provided at a later date. Italy and Croatia have met each other 19 times, with the Azzurri having come out on top on 15 occasions. The Croatians have emerged victorious twice, while there have been two draws between the teams. The two defeats came in the most recent clashes between the sides in January 2017 in Zadar, when the home side won 2-1 and 4-3.

Alessio Musti is set to take charge for the fifth time after being appointed as the Azzurri’s Head Coach in December 2018. So far, the team have recorded three victories and a draw (against world champions Argentina) under his guidance. Italy will be involved in the Main Round at the end of October. On home soil, they’ll come up against Belarus, England and Hungary, with the top two teams in the group qualifying for the Elite Round.