It couldn't have started better than this. After more than a year and a half of inactivity due to the pandemic, the National Under-17 team had a winning start, beating Switzerland 3-0 today at 'Mario Rigamonti' stadium in Lecco. The match was decided in the first half thanks to two goals scored by Carboni and Di Maggio; the third goal, scored in the second half by Roma player Bolzan, finished the match off. The Under-17s dominated the game, and will be back on the field for the second match against Switzerland at 'Campo ai Saleggi' in Losone, in the Swiss Canton of Ticino, on Friday 13 August at 11:30 CEST.

Bernardo Corradi had a positive start, who, in his first official match with this National team, begins his journey towards the European qualifiers scheduled to kick off again on October 27 in Northern Ireland (in addition to the hosts and Italy, Scotland and Albania are the other two teams in group 12). The Coach remarked: "Good job to the guys, good job to the staff and good job to the scouts of Club Italia that, despite the year and a half of inactivity, were able to find the best talents. The boys are mature and well-structured, and it was easy to build the first connections with them. All this will be useful in view of the next European qualifiers and hopefully we can get a few more friendlies under our belts to get into the international atmosphere and better understand what awaits us in the near future".

The match. Italy started off strong, and right after a goal was disallowed following a corner kick and the subsequent battle in the Swiss box, the first goal was scored by Valentin Carboni (son of his father Ezequiel) – he lobbed the Swiss goalie in the eight minute. The opponents reaction followed, with their forward Mouta making himself dangerous on a couple of occasions. But the Swiss defence was shrewd and the team fought back until the 29th minute, when the second goal game from Di Maggio scored. He picked up a rebound on a shot by his clubmate Carboni, and fired the ball under the Swiss crossbar. Italy went into halftime with a two-goal lead.

During the second half of the game, the Italian Coach substituted practically all the players (Switzerland will do the same), but the match did not change direction. Italy controlled the game, and in the 79th minute Alessandro Bolzan scored the third goal. Having been assisted by Piantedosi, he shot with his right foot from the middle of the box into Spagnoli’s net; this was the Azzurrini’s third and final goal.

Today's friendly was the best way the National youth team’s season could have begun, and the youth teams will once again be main players in the next two days at Coverciano ahead of a double challenge against Albania. Daniele Franceschini’s National Under-18 team side will play first tomorrow (Thursday 12 August) at 18:00 CEST, and then Carmine Nunziata’s Under-19 team will play on Friday 13 August at 11:00 CEST. Finally, Alberto Bollini's Under-20 side will have a friendly against Serbia on Monday 6 September (11.00 CEST) at 'Teofilo Patini' Stadium in Castel di Sangro.

ITALY 3-0 Switzerland

Goalscorers: 8' Carboni,  29' Di Maggio, 78’ Bolzan

ITALY (4-3-3) : Calligaris; Parlato (46' Milani), Calixte (61' Stante), Chiarodia (61' Malaspina), Saiani (61' Piantedosi {C}); Di Maggio [C] (71' Vilardi), Lipani (61' Ricordi), Onofrietti (61' De Angelis); Troise (C) (46' Bruno); Carboni (46' Bolzan), Marconi (71' Leonardi). Subs: Magro (GK), Benedetti, Brasili. Coach: Corradi.

SWITZERLAND U17 (4-4-2) : Spagnoli; Hostettler (82' Di Giusto), Sylaj (58' Gecaj), Henchoz (46' Asllani), Salihu (69' Arifi); Mouta (58' Parra), Salihi (46' Lüthi), Selimi (C) (69' Xhemaili), Beney (46' Deme); Hofmann (46' Nigg [C]), Krasniqi (58' Bajrami). Subs: Sejdiu, Rouiller (GK), Huber. Coach: Vogel.

Referee: Federico Olmi Zippilli; Assistant 1: Edoardo Brunetti; Assistant 2: Doriana Lo Calio; Fourth official: Alessandro Dancelli.