The Under-20s will begin the new season with their second Elite League fixture away to Portugal and a home friendly against Switzerland. Carmine Nunziata, who will be taking charge of his first two matches in the U20 dugout, has called up 25 players, twelve of which were involved in this summer’s European Championship campaign that ended in a semi-final defeat to England.

The group will get together on the evening of Sunday 18 September before departing for Lisbon the next day. The Azzurrini’s match against the Portuguese, which is scheduled for 17:00 CEST on Friday 23 September, will be the team’s second encounter in the latest edition of the Elite League. After winning the 2021/22 tournament, Italy lost their opening match 1-0 to Poland at home on 7 June. Following the game against Portugal, Nunziata’s side will take on Switzerland at 17:30 CEST on Tuesday 27 September at the Stadio Franco Ossola in Varese, where the U20s will play for the second time in their history after taking to the pitch there in April 2003. Back then, they also faced the Swiss, recording a resounding 8-0 victory in the old Four Nations Tournament.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Pietro Passador (Torino), Jacopo Sassi (Giugliano), Gioele Zacchi (Sassuolo);
Defenders: Diego Coppola (Verona), Alessandro Fontanarosa (Inter), Filippo Fiumanò (Aquila 1902 Montevarchi), Gabriele Mulazzi (Juventus), Luigi Palomba (Cagliari), Edoardo Pieragnolo (Sassuolo), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus), Mattia Zanotti (Inter);
Midfielders: Cesare Casadei (Chelsea), Federico Casolari (Sassuolo), Duccio Degli Innocenti (Empoli), Giovanni Fabbian (Reggina), Jacopo Fazzini (Empoli), Samuele Giovane (Ascoli), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Volendam), Cher Ndour (Benfica), Filippo Terracciano (Verona), Luciano Valente (Groningen);
Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino Di Bruttopilo (Como), Tommaso De Nipoti (Atalanta), Daniele Montevago (Sampdoria), Cristian Volpato (Roma).

Staff – Head Coach: Carmine Nunziata; Delegation Head: Gianfranco Serioli; Assistant Coach: Emanuele Filippini; Fitness Coach: Vito Azzone; Goalkeeper Coach: Fabrizio Ferron; Match Analyst: Marco Mannucci; Doctors: Carmelo Papotto and Raffaele Iorio; Physiotherapists: Giuseppe Galli and Angelo Cartocci; Nutritionist: Alessio Colli; Secretary: Aldo Blessich.

Elite League: Italy’s calendar

7 June 2022: ITALY 0-1 Poland
23 September 2022: Portugal vs. ITALY
17 November 2022: Romania vs. ITALY
21 November 2022: ITALY vs. Czech Republic
23 March 2023: Norway vs. ITALY
27 March 2023: ITALY vs. Germany