2025 has started well for the U16s, who beat Belgium 1-0 in the first match of the friendly double-header at the Proximus Basecamp in Tubize. Parma defender Djibril Diallo scored the winning goal in the 20th minute.

“It was a hard-fought match because we were up against a fantastic side,” said Marco Scarpa. “We did well to score the opener with just over quarter of an hour gone, and we also played well defensively, not giving our opponents space. I’m satisfied with the character and mentality my players showed, and we deservedly came away with an excellent result.”

The second friendly between the sides will take place on Saturday 22 February (12:00 CET kick-off): “We’ll make changes to the starting eleven,” added the Head Coach. After all, our primary objective is to help the lads grow through international experiences. Let’s not forget that we have six new players in the squad after they stood out in the Torneo dei Gironi (Matteo Andreotti, Antonio Arena, Alessandro Bianchi, Andrea Donato, Daniele Petrone ed Edoardo Dario Rocca, Ed.), so, despite a few knocks, I’ll try to give the right amount of playing time to everyone.”