Forlì is preparing to host the decisive match on the way to the Under 17 European Championships: tomorrow, (kick-off at 15:00 CET and live on RaiSport), Massimiliano Favo’s Azzurrini take on Greece in the last and crucial match of the Qualifying Round. The four-team group stage, which also includes Northern Ireland and San Marino is the first round of qualification towards the final phase of the European Championships, which will begin on 20 May in Cyprus. 

After the goalless draw against Northern Ireland, Italy need at least a draw to avoid complicated calculations involving the other groups and pass through to the next round; all three points will be needed to top the group and thus have a better draw in the second round.

“Our aim,” underlined Azzurrini captain, Niccolò Gariani, “is to win this match. We go there fully loaded, ready to secure first place in the group.”

The Atalanta midfielder, who started playing at six years old ‘to copy [his] older brother,’ Gariani now wears the Azzurro number four and wore the captain’s armband in the first two matches of the tournament: “It’s a massive honour to captain this National Team; I could not have even imagined reaching this point when I was younger… we are a really great group. And to be captain of this team is even more special.

My footballing inspiration? I really like the elegance with which Toni Kroos players, and the delicateness in his movements and passing. Sometimes he doesn't look it, but he is very effective on the pitch. Amongst Italian footballers, I admire Manuel Locatelli who has similar characteristics to me: build up and win the ball back. 

We lacked that final pass and bit of nastiness against Northern Ireland,” concluded Gariani. Tomorrow, at the ‘Tullo Morgagni’ in Forlì, they will need to avoid making the same mistakes in order to qualify for the second round of the Under 17 European Championships. 

 

The format of the tournament. This first round will see the top two in each group progress to the Elite Round (early 2024), along with the five best third-placed teams from the 13 groups. From there, the 32 teams that have qualified will be split into eight new groups of four, from which the first-placed team, as well as the seven best second-placed teams, can join hosts, Cyprus in the final phase. 

 

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessandro Nunziante (Benevento), Massimo Pessina (Bologna)
Defenders: Cristian Cama (Roma), Federico Colombo (Milan), Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Christian Garofalo (Napoli), Manuel Maffessoli (Atalanta), Francesco Verde (Juventus), Giorgio Vezzosi (Sassuolo)
Midfielders: Alessandro Di Nunzio (Roma), Federico Coletta (Roma), Niccolò Gariani (Atalanta), Mattia Liberali (Milan), Alessandro Olivieri (Empoli), Elia Plicco (Parma)
Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Milan), Alex Castiello (Atalanta), Stefano Maiorana (Fiorentina), Mattia Mosconi (Inter)

Staff – Head Coach: Massimiliano Favo; National Youth Team Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Delegation Head: Filippo Corti; Club Italia: Giuseppe Martucci; Assistant Coach: Matteo Barella; Fitness Coach: Adalberto Zamuner; Goalkeeping Coach: Davide Quironi; Match analyst: Andrea Loiacono; Doctors: Alessio Rossato and Francesco Maria Nifosi; Physiotherapists: Marco Fiore and Enrico Matera; Nutritionist: Claudio Pecorella; School Tutor: Stefano Presciutti; Secretary: Massimo Petracchini.

Qualifying Round, Group 11: results, fixtures and table

Wednesday 25 October
Northern Ireland 0-2 Greece
Italy 4-0 San Marino

Saturday 28 October
Greece 2-0 San Marino
Italy 0-0 Northern Ireland

Tuesday 31 October
Greece vs. Italy (15:00 CET - Forlì, stadio Tullo Morgagni)
San Marino vs. Northern Ireland (15:00 CET - Santarcangelo di Romagna, Stadio Valentino Mazzola)

Table: Greece 6 points, Italy 4, Northern Ireland 1, and San Marino 0