Third leg of the challenge against Spain. After yesterday's matches for the Under 18's, a match lost 3-1, and the Under 19's, narrowly defeated (1-0) in the unlucky away match in Torremolinos, it will be the turn of the National Under 17 team, led by Bernardo Corradi, to face their Spanish peers. The friendly match will be played at Coverciano next Wednesday, 25 January at 14:30 CET and will be streamed live on the FIGC website. For the occasion, the Azzurri coach has called up 20 players, all born in 2006 except for the two defenders Matteo Cocchi and Francesco Verde, born in 2007, who play for Inter and Juventus respectively.  The commitment will begin on Sunday evening and end on match day. Lorenzo Tosto, an Empoli defender, will be called up for the first time in this national team, a new resource coming from the selection made with the Torneo dei Gironi last November at the Villaggio Azzurro in Novarello.

The match against the young spaniards represents a very testing match in view of the elite phase of the European Championships scheduled from 7 to 13 March against the hosts Cyprus, the Republic of Ireland and Ukraine, all matches in qualifying group 6 that will give the first two placed teams passage to the final stages of the continental tournament in Hungary next May. Italy had earned access to the elite round with flying colours, winning their three matches in Group 8 in the first round last October against Kosovo (5-2), Finland (4-0) and Greece (2-0).

Squad List

Keepers: Francesco Tommasi (Inter), Francesco Plaia (Spezia);

Defenders: Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Fabio De Sole (Torino), Vittorio Magni (Milan), Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus), Lorenzo Tosto (Empoli), Alessandro Ventre (Juventus), Francesco Verde (Juventus);

Midfielders: Francesco Crapisto (Juventus), Andrea Bonanomi (Atalanta), Gabriele Finocchiaro (Juventus), Mattia Mannini (Roma), Leonardo Mendicino (Atalanta), Lorenzo Riccio (Atalanta), Marco Romano (Genoa);

Forwards:  Giacomo De Pieri (Inter), Emanuele Rao (Spal), Tommaso Ravaglioli (Bologna), Filippo Scotti (Milan).

Staff: Coach, Bernardo Corradi; Chief of Delegation, Filippo Corti; National Youth Coordinatori, Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant Coach, Massimiliano Favo; Goalkeeper Coach, Davide Quironi; Athletic Coach, Adalberto Zamuner; Match Analyst, Andrea Loiacono; Medics, Alessio Rossato and Francesco Maria Nifosì; Nutritionist, Claudio Pecorella, Physiotherapist, Enrico Matera; Secretary, Massimo Petracchini.