2020 has begun with a defeat for the Under-18 National Team, who suffered a 3-0 defeat to Turkey in a friendly played in Riva this morning. The hosts took the lead through Erencan late in the first half before building on their advantage through Ali and Bozan after 66 and 85 minutes respectively.

“This is a team that is experiencing a rebirth given that the majority of the lads who took part in the World Cup have moved on to the Under-19s, while there has also been a change in staff,” said Head Coach Bernardo Corradi after the match. He continued: “We’re trying to reshape the group and one of the positives is that three lads who showcased their talents during our training camp at the beginning of January played today (Mattia Viti, Diego Orlando Simonetta and Tommaso Barbieri). It’s a heavy loss, but the lads did well. I hope that they can draw positives from the match and understand where we need to improve.”