The U21 Euros start soon, with Italy looking to win the competition for the first time since their fifth and last continental triumph 16 years ago. Preceded by a few days of preparation in Tirrenia, the team’s most important assignment of the season is around the corner, after a two-year qualifying journey built on the strength and unity of a group ready to jump the final hurdle. 

Coach Paolo Nicolato released the list of his 23 Azzurrini for this adventure, starting tomorrow when training begins at 12:00 CEST at the Centro di Preparazione Olimpica in Tirrenia. The coach confirmed his selection, with Cagliari striker Riccardo Sottil back from injury.

So, the U21s will start their preparation on Wednesday 26 May with a double session, one which will be supplemented by sessions also on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, after training in the morning, the squad will head from Pisa to Ljubljana on a chartered flight. Once there, they will play Portugal in the quarter-finals on Monday 31, a decisive 90 minutes of football in this atypical European Championship. It'll be a straight knockout phase: after those quarters, the semis are scheduled for 3 June in Maribor, and the final will take place in Ljubljana on 6 June. There have been 17 games between the two sides in the past: 9 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses for Italy.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), Michele Cerofolini (Reggiana), Alessandro Plizzari (Reggina);
Defenders: Raoul Bellanova (Delfino Pescara), Pietro Beruatto (Vicenza), Enrico Delprato (Reggina), Matteo Lovato (Hellas Verona), Lorenzo Pirola (Monza), Luca Ranieri (Spal), Marco Sala (Spal), Alessandro Vogliacco (Pordenone), Gabriele Zappa (Cagliari);
Midfielders: Davide Frattesi (Monza), Giulio Maggiore (Spezia), Youssef Maleh (Venezia), Tommaso Pobega (Spezia), Samuele Ricci (Empoli), Nicolò Rovella (Genoa);
Forwards: Patrick Cutrone (Valencia), Andrea Pinamonti (Inter), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Genoa), Riccardo Sottil (Cagliari).

Itinerary (all times CEST)

Tuesday 25 May 2021
12:00: Centro di Preparazione Olimpica in Tirrenia             

Wednesday 26 May 2021
10:00-10:45: training
11:00-14:00: Zoom press conference
12:00-16:30: training

Thursday 27 May 2021
10:00-10:45: training
11:00-16:30: training

Friday 28 May 2021
10:00-10:45: training
11:00-16:30: training

Saturday 29 May 2021
10:00-10:45: training
11:00-17:00: flight (charter) Pisa - Ljubljana; transfer to Four Points by Sheraton

Sunday 30 May 2021 
11:00-12:00 - training (first 15 mins open to Press)
11:00-14:00: Zoom press conference
19:00 - walk-around at the stadium

Monday 01 June 2021
21:00-00:00: Portugal vs Italy (followed by Zoom press conference)
Tuesday 02 June 2021

In case of elimination, flight back to Italy 

Semi-final
03 June 2021, 18:00: in Maribor 

Final
6 June 2021 - 21:00: in Ljubljana