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Italy Under-21s are approaching their two friendlies during the November international window step by step. The Azzurrini will travel to France tomorrow, where they will face the hosts on Friday 13 November (kick-off at 18:30 CET, live on Rai 2) in the first of their two scheduled friendlies. After facing their French neighbours, Italy will return to Tirrenia to prepare for Monday 16 November's match against Belgium at the Stadio Armando Picchi in Livorno (18:15 CET, live on Rai 2).
KOUADIO SPEAKS. Following the departures of Calvani, Cichella and Ndour, who are all unavailable, and the arrival of Kevin Zeroli yesterday evening, the squad at the training camp is back up to 25 players. Among the new faces in the Under-21 setup is Eddy Kouadio. “I'm really enjoying this experience,” said the Monza player from the training camp in Tirrenia. “As you can see even from an outside perspective, this is a fantastic group and I've settled in really well. I was delighted to be selected and couldn't wait to join up with the squad. We're a very close-knit group, and I already knew some of the lads. It's like a little family.”
THE OBJECTIVES. Born and raised in Prato to a family of Ivorian descent, the Monza defender impressed in Fiorentina's youth ranks before making his way into the national team setup. He now has his sights set on the next challenges: “It's been a long journey to reach the national team, and I want to keep pushing myself to reach new heights. France and Belgium are two very strong sides. These will be two important friendlies that will help us develop as a team. As the coach has already told us, we need to play as a team and work hard to make sure we're ready. That's how you get results.” Concerning Baldini, Kouadio added: “He's introduced me to his principles, shown me how he works, and explained his ideas. Everything we're doing is geared towards June and the European Championship. We'll give it our best shot and try to win it, because why not.”
THE SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Parma), Diego Mascardi (Torino), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone), Massimo Pessina (Bologna);
Defenders: Davide Bartesaghi (AC Milan), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia M’Gladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Torino), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Emanuele Lulli (Roma), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Brando Moruzzi (Avellino);
Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Deportivo La Coruna), Tommaso Berti (Cremonese), Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Avellino), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Mattia Mannini (Benevento), Kevin Zeroli (Suditrol);
Forwards: Alessio Cacciamani (Torino), Francesco Camarda (AC Milan), Luigi Cherubini (Benevento), Simone D’Uffizi (Ascoli), Jeff Ekhator (Juventus), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund).
