Energy, commitment, endless stamina and an eye for goal: Mattia Mannini is already a familiar face within Italy’s youth national teams, having worn the Azzurri shirt 50 times and scored 12 goals across the U17, U19 and U20 levels.

His journey has now brought him to the U21 team, first through a call-up from Baldini last March and now with confirmation from Nunziata ahead of the friendly against Albania, scheduled for Monday 8 June (18:15 CEST) at the stadium in Fontanafredda.

MANINI’S COMMENTS: “I have a great relationship with the coach. He has a lot of faith in me, first as a person and then as a player,” Mannini said from the training camp in Sacile. “He has given me so much over the past year and I’m grateful for everything he has taught me. Being part of the U21s is important and when Baldini’s call came in March, it was more of a hope than an expectation. I was over the moon and now that I’m here, I don’t want to let go of this shirt. I’ll work as hard as possible with my club to earn future call-ups.” For “Manno”, the Azzurri pathway has always been a constant presence. “The youth national team environment helps you grow enormously. You face top-level opponents in major competitions such as World Cups and European Championships. We’re fortunate to wear this shirt and it’s both an honour and a privilege.”

THE SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM: Several of Mannini’s former youth teammates recently made their senior Italy debuts against Luxembourg. “Seeing so many young players with the senior national team is fantastic. It makes you realise how quickly things can happen. Of course, the step up is significant, but you have to be ready, working every day knowing that something special can happen at any moment. That’s one of the beautiful things about football: nothing is out of reach. There’s everything to gain. Dreaming costs nothing, and who knows, one day we might achieve those dreams. I have many friends who have already played their first minutes for the senior national team and they deserve huge congratulations. We want to follow in their footsteps.”

ALBANIA: Monday’s match against Albania is already firmly in focus. “We’ve prepared for the game knowing what kind of opponent we’ll face. We have to play ‘the Italian way’: aware of the shirt we wear and ready to fight for every ball without giving away an inch. We’re a strong team and we need to be fully aware of that.”

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND THE U17s

Tomorrow the U21 squad will also be keeping a close eye on their younger counterparts, with Italy U17s taking on Belgium in the European Championship final in Tallinn, showing that Italian football continues to produce outstanding young talent. “The step from youth football to the professional game is a big one,” Mannini explained. “We need every possible tool to help us make that transition into the challenging professional world. But I’m convinced that every young player can bring something valuable through enthusiasm, energy and the desire to make an impact. A player coming straight from the youth setup may not have 300 or 400 matches behind him, but the hope is to build towards that from a solid foundation. Having said that, I want to wish the boys, coach Franceschini and his staff the very best of luck. The other day we all watched the penalty shootout together. We’ll be cheering them on and I’m sure they’ll make us proud, regardless of the result.”

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Diego Mascardi (Spezia), Lapo Siviero (Torino), Lorenzo Torriani (Milan);
Defenders: Wisdom Amey (Pianese), Adam Bakoune (Monza), Gabriele Calvani (Frosinone), Cristian Cama (Roma), Christian Corradi (Trento) Gabriele Guarino (Empoli), Brando Moruzzi (Empoli), Giacomo Stabile (Bari);
Midfielders: Federico Cassa (Catanzaro), Aaron Ciammaglichella (Juve Stabia), Alessandro Di Nunzio (Roma), Mattia Mannini (Juve Stabia), Patrick Nuamah (Catanzaro), Fabio Rispoli (Catanzaro), Kevin Zeroli (Juve Stabia);
Forwards: Gabriele Alesi (Catanzaro), Matteo Lavelli (Inter), Alvin Okoro (Juve Stabia), Simone Pafundi (Sampdoria), Emanuele Rao (Bari), Dominic Vavassori (Atalanta).