Having arrived in Mendoza last night, the Under-20 National Team immediately got down to work, holding a double session this morning as they look to get into peak condition before their match against Brazil at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas on Sunday (23:00 CEST). After fulfilling his club commitments, Tommaso Baldanzi joined up with his teammates in the afternoon and is ready to make a contribution in a tournament that will begin with a really tough encounter. The Azzurrini find themselves in Group D alongside Brazil, Nigeria and the Dominican Republic, with the top two from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams set to advance to the round of 16.

Accompanying the team in the role of Delegation Head will be Marcello Nicchi. The former international referee and AIA president couldn’t hide his excitement for the upcoming adventure: “My first impressions are very good. I have a real desire to experience this kind of work because I’ve always seen things from a refereeing perspective. I’ve come across a well-mannered group of lads who have developed well under those who manage them at club level. They can have a laugh together but know when it’s no longer the right moment to joke.

“Furthermore, I’ve been particularly impressed by the quality of the technical team. It is made up of high-quality people who are as dedicated as the players and have a relaxed relationship with them. The lads are given praise when they deserve it but, when required, are told when they need to do something different. It’ll soon be time to play and, even if the draw wasn’t particularly kind, we’ll immediately be able to test ourselves against similarly high-quality opponents.”

The Delegation Head finished by remarking on youth football and the future: “I think that the Federation should continue to pay a lot of attention to youth teams and equip them with people who have played the game, who have refereed and who know the world of football. In the future, we'll undoubtedly reap the rewards of the resources we invest in today.”

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Trento); Jacopo Sassi (Giugliano Calcio), Gioele Zacchi (Sassuolo);

Defenders: Filippo Fiumanò (Aquila Montevarchi); Alessandro Fontanarosa (Inter), Daniele Ghilardi (Mantova), Samuel Giovane (Ascoli), Gabriele Guarino (Empoli), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus), Mattia Zanotti (Inter);

Midfielders: Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli), Cesare Casadei (Reading F.C.), Duccio Degli Innocenti (Empoli), Giacomo Faticanti (Roma), Luca Lipani (Genoa), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Matteo Prati (Spal);

Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino Di Bruttopilo (Cittadella), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Daniele Montevago (Sampdoria), Simone Pafundi (Udinese).

Staff – Head of the Delegation, Marcello Nicchi; Accompanying Director:  Gianfranco Serioli ; Assistant Head Coach, Emanuele Filippini; Fitness Coach, Vito Azzone; Goalkeeping Coach, Fabrizio Ferron; Match Analyst, Marco Mannucci; Observer, Claudio Coppi; Team Doctors, Carmelo Papotto and Lorenzo Ticca; Physiotherapists, Giuseppe Galli and Tommaso Cannata; Nutritionist, Alessio Colli; Secretary, Aldo Blessich; Press Office, Giuseppe Ingrati; Amministrazione, Francesco Casella; Club Italia, Matteo Galdelli; Logistics, Carlo Fanano.

Groups and venues

Group A. Argentina, Uzbekistan, Guatemala, New Zealand – Santiago del Estero;

Group B. USA, Ecuador, Fiji, Slovakia – San Juan;

Group C. Senegal, Japan, Israel, Colombia – La Plata;

Group D. ITALY, Brazil, Nigeria, Dominican Republic - Mendoza;

Group E. Uruguay, Iraq, England, Tunisia – La Plata;

Group F. France, Gambia, South Korea, Honduras - Mendoza.

Schedule Group D

Sunday 21 May

Nigeria vs. Dominican Republic, 15:00 local, Mendoza

ITALY vs. Brazil, 18:00 local (23:00 CEST), Mendoza;

Wednesday 24 May

ITALY vs. Nigeria, 15:00 local (20:00 CEST)

Brazil vs. Dominican Republic, 18:00 local

Saturday 27 May

Brazil vs. Nigeria, 15:00 local

Dominican Republic vs. ITALY, 15:00 local (20:00 CEST)