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"The crowd in Sicily will know how to support us and boost us towards qualification.” Arriving yesterday to the Acireale training camp, the Under-19s are ready to make their debut in the Euro 2026 qualifiers. The route to the tournament involves two stages, with first taking place from tomorrow until Tuesday, November 18. Matches against Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Poland will determine which teams advance to the second phase, scheduled for the spring. The campaign kicks off at the ‘Aci e Galatea’ Stadium in Acireale, where tomorrow at 15:00 CET (live on RaiSport), Italy faces Moldova, a prelude to Thursday evening’s senior national teams’ match, part of the World Cup qualifiers. Once again, the journey begins in the South: after last year’s elite phase in Calabria, facing Latvia, Spain, and France, Bollini’s team, which in 2023 won the European Championship in Malta with players born in 2004 and 2005, now begins its challenge with a squad made up of 2007 and 2008-born players (including Az Alkmaar defender Andrea Natali, already part of the Under-19s last year). Eight of these players were also part of the Under-20 World Cup in Chile just over a month ago.
BOLLINI The Italy coach, who coached at Igea Virtus in Sicily in 2003/04, is also hoping for an extra boost from Catania’s enthusiasm following the positive run of the Rossazzurri in Serie C. “Last Sunday, there were 17,000 people at the Massimino for the match against Altamura,” the coach told Rai Tgr Sicilia. “I expect strong support from the fans for these three matches as well, because we need it.” After the opener in Acireale against Moldova, Italy will face Bosnia & Herzegovina on Saturday, November 15 at 15:50 CET, and Poland on Tuesday, November 18 at 15:00 CET in Catania. Two spots for the elite phase are at stake, with the best third-placed team across the 13 groups also advancing to the next round.
THE OPPONENTS Italy cannot afford to underestimate their rivals. Last March’s draw in Crotone against Latvia, which ended up costing Italy a place in the final stage of the last European Championship, is a clear reminder that no national team is easy to face. “Moldova, Bosnia, and Poland are well-organised teams that understand European football and have advanced tactical and competitive skills,” said Bollini. “It will be a tough group.” He added: “For the players who took part in the Under-20 World Cup, it was an important experience. A national team thrives on training and unity, so we’ll need to get up to speed quickly, with the support of the fans.” Moldova’s squad includes four players currently playing for Italian clubs: Daniel Tonica (Legnago Salus), Daniil Dimitrișin (Bologna), Iustin Cornescu (Sassuolo), and Nichita Caragheorghi (Imolese).
TALENTS TO WATCH Among Italy’s most promising players, in addition to the already mentioned Natali, is Mattia Liberali, who starred last year with the Under-19s in Catanzaro, the city he moved to this summer to play for Catanzaro’s senior team, and Alessio Cacciamani, who last Saturday scored a stunning goal in Serie B for Juve Stabia against Palermo. They have, along with ther 18 Azzurrini, the task of kicking off Italy’s European campaign in the best possible way.
FREE ENTRY Entry to the stadium will be free for all six matches. For Italy’s three games, Acireale on Wednesday, November 12, and Catania on Saturday, November 15, and Tuesday, November 18, fans will need to download a free ticket from figc.vivaticket.it or vivaticket.com. Tickets for all three matches will be available from 16:00 CET on Friday, November 7.
MEDIA ACCREDITATION Journalists, photographers, and camera operators wishing to request access to the stadiums and restricted areas can send an email with the subject “Under-19 National Team Media Accreditation” to press@figc.it and m.calabresi@figc.it, indicating their media outlet and the matches for which they are requesting accreditation. The deadline for accreditation requests is 19:00 CET on the day before each match.
SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Alessandro Nunziante (Udinese), Tommaso Vannucchi (Pontedera);
Defenders: Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Javison Osarumwense Idele (Atalanta), Marco Leandri (Atalanta), Manuel Maffessoli (Atalanta), Federico Nardin (Roma), Andrea Natali (Az Alkmaar), Francesco Verde (Juventus);
Midfielders: Filippo Cerpelletti (Inter), Alessandro Ciardi (Parma), Federico Coletta (Benfica), Alessandro Di Nunzio (Roma), Mattia Liberali (Catanzaro), Matteo Mantini (Grasshoppers), Emanuele Sala (AC Milan);
Forwards: Alessio Cacciamani (Juve Stabia), Alex Castiello (AC Milan), Jamal Iddrissou (Inter), Mattia Mosconi (Inter)
Staff - Head Coach: Alberto Bollini; Youth National Teams Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Club Italia Representative: Giuseppe Martucci; Assistant Coach: Christian Maggio; Fitness coach: Nicolò Varesco; Goalkeeping coach: Graziano Vinti; Match analyst: Luca Dalmasso; Doctors: Gianluca Ciolli, Francesco Maria Nifosì; Physiotherapists: Simone Siciliano, Matteo Giorcelli; Nutrionist: Dennis Dell'Unto; Academic Tutor: Alessandro Milani; Secretary: Aldo Blessich
UEFA European Under-19 Championship Wales 2026
Qualifying Round|Group 9
Matchday One (Wednesday, November 12)
11:00 CET Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Poland, Stadio ‘Angelo Massimino’, Catania
15:00 CET ITALY vs. Moldova, Stadio ‘Aci e Galatea’, Acireale
DOWNLOAD THE FREE TICKET FOR ITALY VS MOLDOVA
Matchday Two (Saturday, November 15)
11:00 CET Poland vs. Moldova, Stadio ‘Aci e Galatea’, Acireale
15:50 CET ITALY vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Stadio ‘Angelo Massimino’, Catania
DOWNLOAD THE FREE TICKET FOR ITALY VS BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Matchday Three (Tuesday, November 18)
15:00 CET Poland vs. ITALY, Stadio ‘Angelo Massimino’, Catania
15:00 CET Moldova vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Stadio ‘Aci e Galatea’, Acireale
DOWNLOAD THE FREE TICKET FOR POLAND VS ITALY
