After a win and a draw against Netherlands and Bosnia and Herzegovina in September, a more intense month for the Azzurri is about to begin, as Italy play eight times in the tenth month of the year. We start with a friendly against Moldova at Florence’s Stadio Artemio Franchi on Wednesday 7 October, then UEFA Nations League outings against Poland in Gdansk (11/10) and Netherlands at the Stadio di Bergamo (14/10).

Roberto Mancini has called up 34 players: first call up for Hellas Verona keeper Marco Silvestri, while Angelo Ogbonna returns to the squad for the first time since March 2018. Manuel Lazzari and Domenico Berardi also return after two years away from the national team. No Napoli players have received a call-up as they await results from a strong of positive COVID-19 cases around the team. Lorenzo Pellegrini will join the team after nose surgery on Monday.

The group will meet on Sunday 4 October at Coverciano, before heading to Venice Airport, partner of the Azzurri, and then Gdansk on the 9th. Return from Poland is on the afternoon of the 12th.

The Azzurri are on a positive run: 13 wins and three draws in the last two years (last defeat was in Lisbon on 18 September 2018). Mancini has the most points in his first 21 games of any Italy head coach post-war: 47 points, 2.23 per game (ahead of Sacchi and Vinti), with the best average goals per game (47/2.23) and the second best for goals conceded (13/0.63) behind Vinti. As coach, Mancini has won 14, drawn five and lost two. With their comeback against Bosnia, Italy proved they can win from losing positions.

ITALY VS. MOLDOVA. Italy have won four of their four games against Moldova, all in World Cup qualifiers between 1996 and 2005. Italy are unbeaten in Florence: 20 wins and seven draws. The draw against Bosnia broke a streak of six consecutive wins. Italy will wear an armband commemorating Fino Fini, Azzurri team doctor in the 60s and 80s and the man that conceptualised the Football Museum at Coverciano.

POLAND VS. ITALY. The two nations have met 16 times: Azzurri are in the lead (6 eind, 7 draws and 3 defeats) and it is even away from home (2 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats). The last meeting was in the Nations League; a Biraghi goal secured victory for the Azzurri in Chorzow. Italy have only played once in Gdansk: at the 2012 Euros, which they drew 1-1 with Spain in the groups.

ITALY VS. NETHERLANDS. After a win in Amsterdam on 7 September, the two sides meet again. This will be the 23rd meeting between the two nations and the tenth at home. Italy have won 10, drawn 9 and lost 3 against the Oranje. The National Team has played twice in Bergamo: beating Malta 5-0 in 1987 and drawing 1-1 to Turkey in 2006.

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2020/21. This is second edition of the most recent international competition, which features promotion and relegation through four tiers - A to D. Italy are in Group 1 of League A with the Netherlands - finalists in 2019, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Poland.

The four group winners in League A go into the Nations League finals, which will be played from 6 to 10 October, while the last-place teams will be relegated. There are also two play-off spots up for grabs for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The two best-ranked Nations League teams, who have not qualified for the World Cup via the conventional method, will book their place in the tournament.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Marco Silvestri (Hellas Verona), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino);

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Danilo D’Ambrosio (Inter), Emerson Palmieri Dos Santos (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint Germain), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham United), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina), Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);

Attackers: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Francesco Caputo (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarawy (Shanghai Shenua), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Moise Kean (Everton), Kevin Lasagna (Udinese), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna).

Schedule

Sunday 4 October

Meeting at Coverciano

Monday 5 October

13:45 CEST – Media duties (player)* in the auditorium at Coverciano

16:30 CEST – Training (behind closed doors)** at Coverciano

Tuesday 6 October

14:30 CEST – ITALY press conference (head coach + player)*** at the Artemio Franchi in Florence

18:15 CEST – ITALY training (behind closed doors)** at Coverciano

19:30 CEST – MOLDOVA press conference (head coach + player)*** at the Artemio Franchi in Florence

20:00 CEST – MOLDOVA training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Artemio Franchi

Wednesday 7 October

14:00 CEST – FIGC-RAI press conference Coverciano

20:45 CEST – ITALY VS. MOLDOVA (friendly) at the Artemio Franchi

Press conference following the game

Thursday 8 October

16:30 CEST – Training (behind closed doors)** at Coverciano

Friday 9 October

10:30 CEST – Training (behind closed doors)** at Coverciano

13:30 CEST – Media duties (player) in the auditorium at Coverciano

17:30 CEST – Travel from Florence to Venice

Saturday 10 October

10:45 CEST – Travel from Venice to Gdansk

11:00 CEST – POLAND training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

13:15 CEST – POLAND press conference at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

17:30 – ITALY press conference at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

18:00 CEST – ITALY training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

Sunday 11 October

20:45 CEST – POLAND VS. ITALY (UNL matchday 3) at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

Press conference following the game

Monday 12 October

11:00 CEST – Training (behind closed doors) in Gdansk

17:45 CEST – Travel from Gdansk to Bergamo

Tuesday 13 October

16:30 CEST – NETHERLANDS press conference*** at the Stadio di Bergamo

17:00 CEST – NETHERLANDS training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Stadio di Bergamo

17:30 CEST – ITALY press conference*** at the Stadio di Bergamo

18:00 CEST – ITALY TRAINING (open for the first 15 mins) at the Stadio di Bergamo

Wednesday 14 October

20:45 CEST – ITALY V NETHERLANDS (UNL matchday 4) at the Stadio di Bergamo

Press conference following the game

* images from the event will distributed by the FIGC after it has finished

** 15 minutes of images will be produced and distributed by the FIGC

*** access to the press room will be limited to a reduced number of media members, feeds are available on screens at the stadium.