Today, the Under-19 National Team arrived in Taranto, where, on Wednesday 9 February (11:30 CET), they’ll face Turkey in a friendly. 13 years on from when an Italy side last played in the coastal city in Puglia (a 4-1 defeat for the U20s against Germany), the Stadio Erasmo Iacovone is set to host the match.

Head Coach Carmine Nunziata has called up 22 players for the game, 17 of whom were born in 2003 and five in 2004 (Riccardo Stivanello, Giacomo Faticanti, Luis Hasa, Tommaso Maressa, Tommaso Mancini). There are three new faces: Napoli attacker Antonio Vergara, Sassuolo defender Edoardo Pieragnolo and Ascoli striker Filippo Palazzini, the latter of whom has been added to the squad due to Samuele Vignato’s (Monza) unavailability. With Gabriele Mulazzi (Juventus) having picked up an injury, Napoli defender Giuseppe D’Agostino has also been included.

After the enforced break due to the pandemic, the U19s are set to play their first game this year. It comes three months on from their friendly double-header against Hungary (mid-November), which saw the team win 1-0 and lose 3-1 on the road.

A challenging test awaits Nunziata’s lads, who will be involved in the elite round of European qualification between 23 and 29 March. They’ve been drawn alongside Belgium, Germany and Finland (the hosts) in Group 5, with only the first-place side progressing to the finals in Slovakia in the second half of June.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Milan), Gioele Zacchi (Sassuolo);

Defenders: Nicolò Bertola (Spezia), Davide Gentile (Fiorentina), Daniele Ghilardi (Hellas Verona), Gabriele Mulazzi (Juventus)*, Luigi Palomba (Cagliari), Edoardo Pieragnolo (Sassuolo), Riccardo Stivanello (Bologna), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus);

Midfielders: Nicolò Cavuoti (Cagliari), Giacomo Faticanti (Roma), Samuele Giovane (Atalanta), Luis Hasa (Juventus), Tommaso Maressa (Juventus), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Filippo Terracciano (Hellas Verona);

Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino (Napoli), Tommaso Mancini (Vicenza), Luciano Valente (Groningen), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Samuele Vignato (Monza)**.

*unavailable and thus replaced by Giuseppe D’Agostino (Napoli);

** replaced by Filippo Palazzino (Ascoli) due to injury

Staff: Head Coach, Carmine Nunziata; Delegation Head, Gianfranco Serioli; Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant Coach, Emanuele Filippini; Fitness Coach, Vito Azzone; Goalkeeping Coach, Fabrizio Ferron; Match Analyst, Marco Mannucci; Doctors, Luca Labianca and Lorenzo Sapegno; Physiotherapist, Giuseppe Galli; Nutritionist, Alessio Colli; Secretary, Aldo Blessich.