The U19s are gearing up for the European Championship in Slovakia, which is scheduled between 18 June and 1 July. Yesterday, the first phase of preparations ended with a trimming down of the squad from 28 to 24 players. The team will return to training at the Villaggio Azzurro in Novarello from 10 to 15 June before jetting off to Samorin, Slovakia, 25km outside of Bratislava, where they will stay during the tournament. The evening before departure, the squad will be cut down to the 20 players chosen to participate in the Azzurrini’s European adventure.

Drawn into Group A, Italy will start off against Romania on Saturday 18 June before facing hosts Slovakia three days later and finishing off with France on 24 June.The top two teams in the group will go through to the semi-finals, which, if achieved, would see the Azzurrini qualify the next Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia in 2023 (five places are reserved for European countries).

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Milan), Jacopo Sassi (Atalanta), Gioele Zacchi (Sassuolo)

Defenders: Diego Coppola (Hellas Verona), Filippo Fiumanò (Juventus), Alessandro Fontanarosa (Inter), Daniele Ghilardi (Hellas Verona), Gabriele Mulazzi (Juventus), Riccardo Stivanello (Bologna), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus)

Midfielders: Cesare Casadei (Inter), Duccio Degli Innocenti (Empoli), Omar Isaias Delpupo (Cagliari), Giovanni Fabbian (Inter), Giacomo Faticanti (Roma), Jacopo Fazzini (Empoli), Samuele Giovane (Atalanta), Justin Kumi (Sassuolo), Filippo Terracciano (Hellas Verona)

Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino Di Bruttopilo (Napoli), Tomamso Baldanzi (Empoli), Leonardo Cerri (Juventus), Marco Nasti (Milan), Cristian Volpato (Roma).

Staff. Head Coach: Carmine Nunziata; Assistant Coach: Emanuele Filippini; Fitness Coach: Vito Azzone; Goalkeeping Coach: Fabrizio Ferron; Doctors: Carmelo Papotto and Raffaele Iorio; Physiotherapists: Giuseppe Galli and Fabrizio Casati; Nutritionist: Alessio Colli; Secretary: Aldo Blessich.