Italy vs. Türkiye, which brings together the two countries who will host EURO 2032, will be a match to help the Azzurri prepare for EURO 2024. So far, 19,000 tickets have been sold for the clash, which will kick off at 21:00 CEST tomorrow at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

PREVIOUS MATCHES IN BOLOGNA. The friendly against Türkiye (eleven previous meetings: eight wins for Italy and three draws) will be the 24th time the Azzurri have taken to the pitch in Bologna and the National Teams 23rd game at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara (formerly called Stadio Littoriale from 1922 and then, after the war, Stadio Comunale), which was inaugurated by the Azzurri almost 100 years ago on 29 May 1927 (a friendly against Spain, 2-0). Italy’s first fixture in the city took place on 3 December 1922, a 2-2 draw against Switzerland at the Motovelodromo, a sports facility which was demolished in 1996. A fun fact: the National Team will once again play in Bologna on 4 June, just like they did in 2021 (a 4-0 friendly win over the Czech Republic) and 2022 (a 1-1 draw with Germany in the Nations League).

In the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, the Azzurri have 16 wins (the biggest was their 6-0 success over Türkiye in 1962, their one and only encounter with the Turks in Bologna to date), three draws and three defeats to their name. In the process, they’ve scored 63 goals through 43 different players (the highest goalscorers are Meazza and Orlando with four, Rossetti and Costantino with three) and conceded 20. 25 debutants (the last being Wilfried Gnonto in June 2022) from twelve clubs (five from Bologna - Baldi, Pozzi, Gianni, Giordani and Perani) have taken to the pitch in Bologna, where the Azzurri have faced 17 different opponents.

PELOTA DE TRAPO. Before kick-off, the captains of the two teams will exchange the ‘Pelota de Trapo’, or Rag Ball. It’s the symbol of the educational project promoted worldwide by the Pontifical Foundation “Scholas Occurrentes”.

The ball, which was also mentioned by Pope Francis when he received the Azzurri in 2019, serves as a reminder of the ‘humbler’ origins of football. The Rag Ball will arrive in Bologna from Naples, where it was made by youngsters being held in the Juvenile Detention Centre of Nisida.

AUDIO-DESCRIPTION SERVICE FOR THE BLIND. Continuing on from the National Team’s last few matches, and as part of the sustainability strategy adopted by the FIGC, the audio-description service for blind fans will be made available during the match against Türkiye. The FIGC has invited around 20 blind supporters, who will be accompanied by their respective carers, to the match, which they’ll be able to follow thanks to dedicated commentary that will be accessible from their smartphones.

‘BOLOGNA FOR COMMUNITY’. Disabled persons will be able to make the most of the service offered by ‘Bologna For Community’, the social responsibility project put on at Bologna FC’s home matches. The minibuses that are made available by PMG Italia and driven by volunteers from the ‘Io Sto Con’ association will travel to homes, nursing homes, day centres and other locations before taking fans to the match. Those involved will then accompany the fans throughout the game.

‘SFUMATURE D’AZZURRO’ EXHIBITION. Accompanying the Azzurri’s friendly in Bologna is the ‘Sfumature di Azzurro’ (Shades of Blue) exhibition at Palazzo D'Accursio. The exhibition traces the journey of the Italian National Team at the European Championship. A story that begins with the triumph in 1968, remembered through Sandro Salvadore’s jersey and the captain’s armband from the final against Yugoslavia. It continues through the Euros hosted by Italy, in 1980, depicted with Roberto Pruzzo's jersey. Then, there’s a leap to Euro '88, with the tournament ball and the pennant from Italy vs. Spain.

Additionally, Vincenzo Montella and Andrea Pirlo’s jerseys serve as a reminder of the finals reached in 2000 and 2012, and then the Azzurri’s most recent continental success, at EURO 2020, is represented by the jersey of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was voted as the competition’s best player. Since the European Championship is in Germany, it’s impossible not to mention the World Cup won in 2006 on German soil. The exhibition features unique pieces from that competition such as Francesco Totti's jersey, the pennant from the Germany vs. Italy semi-final, and the ball from the Berlin final against France. The World Cups and European Cups won by the Azzurri will also be exhibited.

The Museo del Calcio’s itinerant exhibition will then move from Bologna to Iserlohn, Germany, where it’ll be displayed inside Casa Azzurri. Therefore, starting from 11 June, it will be possible to admire the memorabilia of the ‘Sfumature di Azzurro’ exhibition in Germany at the ‘headquarters’ of our National Team.