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After securing promotion to Serie B with Pescara, Silvio Baldini is set for a new challenge with Italy U21, who will begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 European Championship in September, a tournament that also offers a ticket to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“We’ve chosen an excellent coach for the Under-21 side,” said FIGC President Gabriele Gravina. “A man of integrity and strong values, Baldini has both the interpersonal and technical qualities to help the Azzurrini make a significant leap forward. Our main goal is to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics, and that’s why, with Maurizio Viscidi and Gianluigi Buffon’s advice, we recognised the importance of appointing an experienced coach capable of leading a medium to long-term project.”

“I’m honoured and thrilled,” said Baldini. “I’d like to thank President Gravina for the opportunity and for his trust in me. I’m honoured that he was interested in my journey and considered me for this role. Representing Italy is undoubtedly a great source of pride, and I’ll do my best to instil in the player a strong sense of identity and belonging. From a technical point of view, I’m convinced we can do very well, but the only road to success I know is through hard work, and I’m eager to get started.”

Born in 1958, the Tuscan coach was awarded the 2023 Serie C Panchina d’Oro after leading Palermo to promotion in 2021/22 and did the same with Pescara in June. Baldini undoubtedly brings decades of experience to the role. Having started in the lower leagues with Bagnone in Seconda Categoria, he has gone on to coach Catania, Empoli, Lecce, and Parma, all in Serie A. His debut is against Montenegro on 5 September in La Spezia, the opening match of Group E in the European Championship qualifiers, a group that also includes Armenia, North Macedonia, Poland, and Sweden. The final tournament will take place in June 2027 in Albania.

Joining him as assistant coach is Andrea Barzagli, 2006 World Cup winner and 2004 European Under-21 champion, who returns to the Italy set-up after previously working as a technical collaborator with the youth national teams from Under-20 to Under-15 between 2001 and 2023.

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THE OTHER YOUTH SQUADS. Maurizio Viscidi has been confirmed as the supervisor of Italy’s youth system and will also be responsible for liaising between senior head coach Gennaro Gattuso and Under-21 boss Silvio Baldini, ensuring alignment between both teams. A key figure in the development of Italy’s youth teams since 2010, Viscidi has played a central role in nurturing a generation of talent that reached its peak with Italy’s Under-19 European Championship title in 2023 and Under-17s’ triumph in 2024. Both of these achievements earned the national side the UEFA ‘Maurice Burlaz’ Award last year for outstanding youth development. Daniele Zoratto will remain in place as deputy coordinator, a decision that demonstrates the FIGC’s focus on consistency and long-term planning across the entire youth structure. It is under this same vision that the new Under-14 team has been launched, created for players born in 2012 and registered with professional clubs. Luigi Milani will oversee the project, with monthly training camps held at Territorial Federal Centres (CFTs) across Italy. These sessions will allow federal coaches to track promising talent early and gradually introduce them into the national setup, laying the foundation for a more coherent and structured development pathway.

With the 2025/26 season right around the corner, the first to get going are the Under-20s, with Carmine Nunziata back in the dug-out after two years in charge of the U21 side. From 27 September to 19 October, the Azzurrini will be in Chile for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, entering the tournament as reigning runners-up, following their second-place finish at the 2023 edition in Argentina. Italy have been drawn into Group D, alongside Argentina, Australia and Cuba. Nunziata brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record that’s been built over the last 13 years at the FIGC. He previously served as assistant to Luigi Di Biagio with the Under-21s before stepping into head coaching roles with the Under-17s, reaching two European finals in 2018 and 2019, as well as the Under-19s and the Under-20s. He is regarded as the model FIGC coach, combining tactical knowledge with a deep commitment to player development, both on and off the pitch. Matteo Brighi and Micro Casparetto will serve as his assistant coaches.

“I want to thank Carmine Nunziata for his professionalism and his willingness to carry on contributing to the growth of Italian football,” said Gravina. “I also extend my best wishes to all the coaches and staff members of our youth national teams, with whom we’ve achieved remarkable results in recent years, the best in Italy history.”

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Alberto Bollini has been confirmed as the head coach of Italy U19 after leading the Azzurrini to a historic European title in 2023, the country’s first in 20 years. The road to Euro 2026 begins with the first qualifying round, scheduled from 12 to 18 November in Italy, where the Azzurrini will play Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, and Poland in Group 9. Christian Maggio, formerly assistant with the Under-21s, will serve as Bollini’s deputy. Massimiliano Favo takes over the Under-18 squad, now in his sixth season with the FIGC. After winning the 2024 European title and reaching the 2025 semi-finals with the Under-17s, he now leads the 2008-born generation to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will take place from 3 to 27 November in Qatar. During his previous U17 campaign held in Cyprus, his team saw triumph, and in the last tournament held in Albania, they finished in the final four. 

Favo’s successor with the Under-17s is Daniele Franceschini, who steps up after five promising years in charge of the U18s. Franceschini’s team will open their European campaign in Group 1, with Estonia, Montenegro, and Ukraine, from 1 to 7 October. Supporting him will be Marco Scarpa, formerly with the Under-16s, and Francesco Antonioli, a 1992 U21 European champion, who continues as a goalkeeper coach. In the Under-16 squad, there’s a new addition with Manuel Pasqual being promoted to head coach after working as an assistant with the U18s. He’ll be joined by Matteo Barella as assistant, previously part of the Under-19 coaching team. Finally, the Under-15s will be led by Enrico Battisti again, following an impressive previous season. He will be supported by Antonio Rocca, who celebrates twenty years of dedication to Italy’s youth teams, continuing his role as team supervisor.

 

Youth Squads

Under-21
Head Coach: Silvio Baldini
Assistant coach: Andrea Barzagli
Competition: UEFA European Under-17 Championship Albania 2027. Group E of the qualifiers, from September 2025 to October 2026

Under-20
Head Coach: Carmine Nunziata
Assistant coaches: Matteo Brighi and Mirco Gasparetto
Competition: FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025. From 27 September to 19 October

Under-19
Head Coach: Alberto Bollini
Assistant Coach: Christian Maggio
Competition: UEFA European Under-19 Championship Wales 2025. Group 9 of the first qualifying round, from 12 to 18 November in Italy

Under-18
Head Coach: Massimiliano Favo
Assistant Coach: Davide Cei
Competition: FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025. From 3 to 27 November.

Under-17
Head Coach: Daniele Franceschini
Assistant Coach: Marco Scarpa

Under-16
Head Coach: Manuel Pasqual
Assistant Coach: Matteo Barella

Under-15
Head Coach: Enrico Battisti
Assistant Coach: Bruno Redolfi