Some players understand football like their mother tongue: they listen to it and then learn it naturally. Emanuele Sala, is one of these people. 

Before he’d even touched a ball, he’d experienced football; “My passion was born at the age of four/five months when I’d go to watch my brother play. From that point, a true love was born. I began playing at four years of age at Cimiano and then went to AC Milan a year later”.

He’s been with the club for 13 years now, a lifetime in terms of football. AC Milan took him as a child and have been sculpting him into the model of their great midfielders with the essential qualities of technique, thought and a good understanding of the game. He makes clear references to his idols in the way that he plays; “I take inspiration from Andrés Iniesta. In the club, I look up to Luka Modrić and then Sandro Tonali in the National Team”.
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Emanuele already knows what it means to win. Alongside his teammates Federico Coletta, Mattia Liberali, Mattia Liberali, Mattia Mosconi, Federico Nardin, Andrea Natali, Massimo Pessina e Francesco Verde, he won the first European title for the Under 17’s in the history of Italian football, in 2024 under the guidance of Massimiliano Favo. 

For him, wearing the Italy shirt is not just about the pride it gives him on the pitch; “Wearing the shirt of the National Team brings an unbelievable emotion. It’s an honour to live out my dream, representing my country. I’ve got a lot of objectives, but in terms of the team, I want to try and win this competition. Personally, I want to improve every day”.
Perhaps this is the measure of this young player’s maturity. He has the constant desire to keep striving forward, without ever really feeling as if he’s made it. AC Milan is helping him grow, Italy is watching him grow and protecting him. But, the real journey has just begun. 
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SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: 1. Tommaso Vannucchi (Cosenza), 22. Massimo Pessina (Bologna);

Defenders: 3. Matteo Cocchi (Inter), 4. Federico Nardin (Roma), 5. Andrea Natali (AZ Alkmaar), 6. Cristiano De Paoli (Como), 13. Francesco Verde (Juventus), 19. Mattia Marello (Inter), 21. Niccolò Rizzo (Juventus);

Midfielders: 7. Federico Coletta (Benfica), 8. Emanuele Sala (Milan), 10. Mattia Liberali (Catanzaro), 14. Christian Comotto (Spezia), 15. Samuel Wiafe (Modena), 16. Matteo Mantini (Grasshopper);

Forwards: 2. Javison Osarumwense Idele (Atalanta), 9. Jamal Iddrissou (Inter), 11. Mattia Mosconi (Inter), 17. Destiny Onoguekhan Elimoghale (Juventus), 20. Antonio Arena (Roma).

Staff – Head Coach: Alberto Bollini; Head of Delegation: Gianfranco Serioli; Youth National Teams Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant Coach: Christian Maggio; Goalkeeper Coach: Graziano Vinti; Fitness Coach: Nicolò Varesco; Match Analyst: Luca Dalmasso; Doctors: Andrea De Fazio and Francesco Maria Nifosì; Nutritionist: Dennis Dell’Unto; Physiotherapists: Giuseppe Galli and Simone Siciliano; Club Italia Scout: Alessandro Musicco; Administration, Finance, and Control Department: Antonio Martuscelli; Press Office: Alessandro Paoli; Secretary: Aldo Blessich.
 

UEFA European Under-19 Championship Wales 2026 | Final Tournament

Group Stage (28 June – 5 July)

Group A: Wales, Denmark, Germany, Spain
Group B: Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Ukraine

Matchday 1

Sunday 28 June

Wales 0-7 Spain
Germany 4-3 Denmark

Group A standings: Spain 3 pts (+7), Germany 3 pts (+1), Denmark 0 pts (-1), Wales 0 pts (-7).

Monday 29 June

Italy 2-0 Serbia
21:00 – Croatia 1-3 Ukraine 

Group B standings: Italy 3 pts (+2), Ukraine 3 pts (+2), Croatia 0 pts (-2),  Serbia 0 pts (-2).

Matchday 2

Wednesday 1 July

19:00 – Denmark vs Spain | Central Park, Denbigh
21:00 – Wales vs Germany | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

Thursday 2 July

15:00 – Croatia vs Italy | The Oval, Caernarfon
19:00 – Serbia vs Ukraine | Bangor City Stadium, Bangor

Matchday 3

Saturday 4 July

15:00 – Denmark vs Wales | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
15:00 – Spain vs Germany | Central Park, Denbigh

Sunday 5 July

17:00 – Ukraine vs Italy | Bangor City Stadium, Bangor
17:00 – Serbia vs Croatia | The Oval, Caernarfon

Knockout Stage (8–11 July)

FIFA U-20 World Cup Azerbaijan–Uzbekistan 2027 Play-Off

Wednesday 8 July

15:00 – Third-placed Team Group A vs Third-placed Team Group B | Bangor City Stadium, Bangor

Semi-finals

Wednesday 8 July

SF1 – 17:30: Winners Group A vs Runners-up Group B | Central Park, Denbigh

SF2 – 20:00: Winners Group B vs Runners-up Group A | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

Final

Saturday 11 July

20:00 – Winners SF1 vs Winners SF2 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

NB: All kick-off times are listed in CEST (Central European Summer Time).