Here we go. The national team's training camp has opened in Coverciano. In the afternoon they will take to the field for their first training session, 16 days before their opening game in the European Championship. At the Federal Technical Centre, the Azzurri will begin their preparation for the tournament, preparation that includes two friendlies against Türkiye (4 June in Bologna) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (9 June in Empoli), as well as a training match with the Under-20 national team on Wednesday, 5 June, to give 90 minutes to players who will not feature against Türkiye.

At noon, the manager gathered the whole group in the main hall: "I told the guys," he later stated in a press conference, "that we need to experience the same emotions that those who love us from home feel. We need to show Italians that we are worthy of wearing this shirt." Nine months after being called to lead the national team, Spalletti is ready for his first major tournament as head coach: "The Federation has been accommodating and has fulfilled all the requests I've made, the latest being to have the Fantastic number 10s here at Coverciano. I bear the responsibility for what will happen, but it's the responsibilities that make you happy"

On 6 June, he will have to make the final cuts before announcing the official list with the names of those who will board the charter to take the Azzurri to Germany: "It's not necessarily going to be a midfielder or a forward going out just because Acerbi left. It will be an extremely difficult and painful choice for me, as it goes against my nature. Leaving people out bothers me a lot. I hope to make the right choice for what Italy needs".

In the meantime, he has justified some of the decisions made on 23 May, starting with the call-up of Nicolò Fagioli, who returned to playing an official match only ten days ago after serving a seven-month suspension for a betting scandal: "The decision regarding Fagioli is a technical one. He lacks physicality and aerial ability, but he possesses the quality, creativity, and flair that allow us to have more elements to manage the game. I read an interview with him yesterday, and he said some wonderful things. I also had the chance to speak with him on the day of the Coppa Italia final, and he made a very positive impression on me. If we consider his mistakes, I think he deserves some understanding. He didn't bet on his own matches but rather because he was going through a difficult time".

In the same role but with different characteristics, Ricci could also secure a spot in the European Championship squad: "They are similar in some aspects, but different in others. We need that type of player to build the game, and both are strong. Through his work with his team (Torino), Ricci has developed the aggressiveness that drives him to challenge opponents, to seek physical contact to win the ball." The manager doesn't seek excuses when asked if the absences of Acerbi and Zaniolo will affect the National Team: "We have plenty of players to choose from. If we immediately focus on what we lack, we start off on the wrong foot. Acerbi is an experienced player who, being part of a cohesive unit (Inter), could have contributed something. Zaniolo is a talented player, but what he brought, I hope to find in other players."

For technical reasons, Locatelli and Bonaventura have been left out: "Locatelli is a serious person and a serious professional, with good skills. However, at this moment, I wanted more creativity. Perhaps he's a bit too conservative for the direction the role is heading. Probably in the next call-up, I will probably bring him along. I apologise to him for leaving him at home." The Fiorentina midfielder pays for a less-than-stellar second half of the season: "It breaks my heart to leave him out. I saw him struggling a bit, and I thought from a squad perspective, I might need other things, but he remains in the national team circle".

It's a different story for Folorunsho, a key player with Verona in achieving safety, which seemed unlikely in January: "He's a player who operates in the attacking midfield, somewhat on the wing. He has become adept at receiving the ball, shielding it from opponents." He has also shown a knack for scoring, as has Frattesi, who, despite often starting from the bench, made a valuable contribution to Inter's Scudetto win. "He starts deeper and then arrives in that area. He's more of a midfielder." On the wings, they are vying for a ticket to Germany with Orsolini, El Shaarawy, and Zaccagni. Then there's Chiesa: "He can play from all sides. It's best to leave him isolated, without too much traffic around him".

In the attacking department, Spalletti can rely on Gianluca Scamacca's scoring prowess, coming off an impressive end to the season that saw him lift the Europa League trophy. Since the end of March, the Atalanta striker has been in superb form, becoming the player with the most goal involvements 14 (10 goals and 4 assists) in the top 5 European leagues across all competitions, on par with Chelsea's Cole Palmer. However, like everyone else, he still has plenty of room for improvement. "He's a bit lazy; he needs to lose some laziness. Perhaps he has lost it." In March, during the tour in the United States, he was left out of the squad after somewhat disappointing the manager in the previous international window: "In some ways, I didn't like his performance. However, I had called him up before because he's a player who has it all, physicality, speed, and goals. In recent months, he has grown, with performances, goals, and more consistency than he has shown at other times".

Having stated that Donnarumma will continue as captain ("for now, he remains, and then we'll evaluate as we go along"), the manager implies that at the Euros, we will see an Italy that won't be tied to one formation but will be able to adapt as needed: "Here at Coverciano, they teach us that playing systems are not rigid. We want to give our talents the chance to express themselves while maintaining an organized team structure. We'll all be a bit creative and at times, defenders."

SQUAD FOR THE TRAINING CAMP

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), *Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Michael Folorunsho (Hellas Verona), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino);
Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), *Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).

*Joining 3 June