The U17s’ Elite Round opener in Group 3 is drawing ever nearer: at 12:00 CET tomorrow, the Azzurrini will face the Netherlands at the Myyrmäki Stadium in Vantaa, Finland (the game will be shown live on the FIGC website).

“We’ve trained well in the past few days,” said Head Coach Massimiliano Favo. “We have a squad that can compete with anybody.” The Dutch, who received a bye to the Elite Round as the team with the highest seeding coefficient, have struggled somewhat in recent outings, most notably losing 6-0 to Portugal in February in Albufeira: “The Netherlands are a team that have always played good football and had a precise tactical ideology. They should by no means be underestimated, but we mustn’t forget that we are Italy.”

After their match against the Oranje, the Azzurrini will take on Belgium at 12:00 CET on Saturday 23 March and, finally, hosts Finland three days later (another 12:00 CET kick-off).

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessandro Longoni (Milan), Massimo Pessina (Bologna);
Defenders: Cristian Cama (Roma), Mattia Cappelletti (Milan), Emanuel Benjamín de Sant'ana Balbinot (Real Madrid), Christian Garofalo (Napoli), Giovanni Lauricella (Empoli), Federico Nardin (Roma), Andrea Natali (Barcelona), Francesco Verde (Juventus);
Midfielders: Davide Atzeni (Fiorentina), Federico Coletta (Roma), Alessandro Di Nunzio (Roma), Matteo Mantini (Inter), Emanuele Sala (Milan);
Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Milan), Thomas Campaniello (Empoli), Alessandro Ciardi (Salzburg), Mattia Liberali (Milan), Mattia Mosconi (Inter).

Staff - Head Coach: Massimiliano Favo; Delegation Head: Filippo Corti; Assistant Coach: Matteo Barella; Goalkeeping Coach: Davide Quironi; Fitness Coach: Adalberto Zamuner; Match Analyst: Andrea Loiacono; Doctors: Alessio Rossato and Francesco Maria Nifosì; Physiotherapists: Giorgio Giannini and Marco Fiore; Nutritionist: Claudio Pecorella; School Tutor: Stefano Presciutti; Secretary: Massimo Petracchini.

Elite Round Group 3 calendar (from 20 to 26 March)

All times CET

Matchday one (Wednesday 20 March)
12:00 – Netherlands vs. ITALY (Myyrmäki Stadium in Vantaa)*
17:30 – Finland vs. Belgium (Myyrmäki Stadium in Vantaa)

Matchday two (Saturday 23 March)
12:00 – Belgium vs. ITALY (Myyrmäki Stadium in Vantaa)*
17:30 – Netherlands vs. Finland (Myyrmäki Stadium in Vantaa)

Matchday three (Tuesday 26 March)
12:00 – Netherlands vs. Belgium (Mustapekka Areena in Helsinki)
12:00 – ITALY vs. Finland (Myyrmäki Stadium in Vantaa)*

*live stream on the FIGC site.