The first goal for Italy came from Lorenzo Riccio, the son of Luigi Riccio, who is Gattuso’s assistant coach for the senior national team. Iddrissou scored the winning goal just minutes before the end of the match.

The U20s kicked off the new season with an encouraging 2-1 away win over England. Head coach, Carmine Nunziata, who has returned to lead the U20s after two years with the U21s, has started preparations for the World Cup in Chile on the right foot. The tournament will run from 27 September to 19 October, with Italy in Group D alongside Argentina, Australia and Cuba.

In front of 3,500 spectators in Chesterfield, the Azzurrini held their own against the home side, who initially tried to take control of the game. But Italy were able to withstand the pressure, responding well in what remained a very close game.  

It was the Azzurrini who took the lead in the 18th minute. Cama played a fantastic ball to Riccio, who fired home from outside the area. It topped off a fantastic night for the Riccio family. The U20 goalscorer, Lorenzo, is the son of the Luigi Riccio, Gattuso’s assistant coach for the national team, who was in the dugout in Bergamo for the Azzurri’s 5-0 win over Estonia.

Just two minutes after the Azzurrini took the lead, England equalised with a goal from Danns, their centre forward and skipper. The first half ended 1-1. The second half saw no change in the match’s flow, which remained a close battle. The turning point came for Italy in the 88th minute. Harder broke through on the left and sent the ball straight into the opposition box. Idrissou, who had only been on for less than half an hour, beat the English goalkeeper with an unstoppable effort.

“We played excellently”, said coach Nunziata. “I’ve got a fantastic group of players who listen to me and my staff. What I was most pleased with is that we played as a team, even when faced with difficulty against a strong opponent. Our focus is clearly on the World Cup that kicks off at the end of this month. In our next match, I will be giving minutes to whoever didn’t play at all or as much today.” 

The Azzurrini will return to the pitch on Tuesday 9 September (at 18:30) for another important game, against Germany at the Stadion an der Kreuzeiche in Reutlingen. It will be their final match before the World Cup in Chile begins.