Here we go. Tomorrow evening the Under 21 national team restart their European Championship adventure in Ljubljana in the quarterfinal match against Portugal, a match where mistakes cannot be afforded. The team that loses is out. Italy come into the fixture with the certainty of wanting to go all the way, and the certainty of being able to count on a group of strong values, as demonstrated on the pitch over the past two years that have been full of obstacles, but also full of many satisfactions. Paolo Nicolato has been following and coaching many of these guys for five years, ever since they joined ‘his’ Under 19 squad, the team that won silver medals in Finland in 2018. This is why the Italian Coach was very peaceful on the eve of the big match: “This group - he began in his press conference – haven’t got a game wrong. The most symbolic game was the one we won in Iceland: they hadn't lost at home for four years, we were in full Covid emergency, we had four debutants and we needed a result. The boys played with their hearts, with our values, as well as with technique and strategy”.

All qualities that are strengths of this team and which Nicolato firmly believes are the same characteristics that he expects to see tomorrow night. “When you play with such strong teams - the coach continued – it’s risky is to start timidly, with the handbrakes on, and trying to be conservative. I wouldn’t like to see this attitude and I believe I won’t see it. Then it will also depend on what they do, even in suffering there is a way, as with Spain. It’s true that we’re probably not starting favourites, but I like that the team is courageous, I’d like to see courage tomorrow night and I’m sure I will have it. The boys have always shown me that they know how to play games right up until the end”.

Coach Nicolato offered his thoughts about a potential final: “Kissing the silver medal as Guardiola did? Certainly, I would. I have finished second or third before: they aren’t easy results to achieve, we play competitions with 55-56 teams, so finishing second doesn’t mean that you have lost. I’m against this culture that whoever wins is great and all others are defeated. I would kiss the silver medal, but also the bronze one. I’m happy with every position if it’s achieved by giving the best of ourselves”.

For the moment, the numbers speak for themselves: in the previous 17 encounters between the two teams, Italy have won nine games, drawn four and lost four.

Reggina defender Enrico Delprato is one of the ‘veterans’ of that Under 19 team led by Nicolato to second place in Finland in 2018, and the following year he was part of the Under 20 team that ended the World Cup in Poland in fourth place. That same year, in September, Nicolato made his debut with the Under 21s in the friendly match against Moldova. “I am lucky - declared the Azzurrino - to play with really strong teammates. All the teams that make it this far have both the technique and the speed. The others have it and so do we, so we will have to be good at using our heads, doing a good job defensively and, if we have to sacrifice ourselves we will do it, as in all games. Tomorrow is decisive so we will face it giving our absolute best. Portugal are a strong team, one of the strongest in Europe, but if we are here it means that we also have great values, and we will use them out on the pitch”.

Squad List

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), Michele Cerofolini (Reggiana), Alessandro Plizzari (Reggina);

Defenders: Raoul Bellanova (Delfino Pescara), Pietro Beruatto (Vicenza), Enrico Del Prato (Reggina), Matteo Lovato (Hellas Verona), Lorenzo Pirola (Monza), Luca Ranieri (Spal), Marco Sala (Spal), Alessandro Vogliacco (Pordenone), Gabriele Zappa (Cagliari);

Midfielders: Davide Frattesi (Monza), Giulio Maggiore (Spezia), Youssef Maleh (Venezia), Tommaso Pobega (Spezia), Samuele Ricci (Empoli), Nicolò Rovella (Genoa);

Forwards: Patrick Cutrone (Valencia), Andrea Pinamonti (Inter), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Genoa), Riccardo Sottil (Cagliari).