Italy national under-21 football team

The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.

Italy Under-21
Nickname(s)Gli Azzurrini
(The Little Blues)
AssociationItalian Football Federation
(Federazion Italia Giuoco Calcio – FIGC)
Head coachPaolo Nicolato
CaptainManuel Locatelli
Most capsAndrea Pirlo (37)
Top scorerAlberto Gilardino (15)
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
Biggest win
Italy 7–0 Estonia
(Catanzaro, Italy; March 23, 1995)
Italy 8–1 Wales
(Pavia, Italy; September 5, 2003)
Italy 7–0 Liechtenstein
(Casarano, Italy; 6 September 2012)
Biggest defeat
Norway 6–0 Italy
(Stavanger, Norway; June 5, 1991)
Records for competitive
matches only.
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances20 (first in 1978)
Best resultWinners: (1992, 1994,
1996, 2000, 2004)

The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, held every two years. Italy (along with Spain) is the most successful nation in the history of the competition, with five Championships won (1992, 1994, 1996, 2000 and 2004). Italy has also been twice runner-up of the competition, in 1986 and 2013.

From 1990 to 2004 the team established near-total dominance of European Under-21 football, winning five of the seven tournaments.

Italy's Under-21s played the first match at the new Wembley Stadium, on 24 March 2007, against England Under-21s. The game resulted in a 3–3 draw, with Giampaolo Pazzini scoring all 3 goals for the Azzurrini.

Prior to the 2008 Olympic games, Italy U-21s went on to win the 2008 Toulon Tournament by beating Chile (1–0) in the final. It was the first time they had won this tournament, previously their best had been runner-up on two occasions.[1]

UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two-year competition, technically it is an U-23 competition. For this reason, Italy's record in the preceding U-23 competitions is also shown.

  • 1972: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
  • 1974: Losing quarter-finalists.
  • 1976: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.

UEFA U-21 Championship Record
Year Round
1978Quarter-Finals
1980Quarter-Finals
1982Quarter-Finals
1984Semi-finals
1986Runners-up
1988Quarter-Finals
1990Semi-finals
1992Winners
1994Winners
1996Winners
1998Did not qualify
2000Winners
2002Semi-finals
2004Winners
2006Group stage
2007Group stage
2009Semi-finals
2011Did not qualify
2013Runners-up
2015Group stage
2017Semi-finals
2019Group stage
2021TBD
*Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Olympics football Record
Olympic medal record
Men's Football
2004 Athens Team

Since 1992 Olympic football changed to a U-23 event, and the European U-21 teams are technically U-23 teams. European national teams qualify for the Olympic football tournament through the UEFA European U-21 Championship.

Mediterranean Games Record

Mediterranean Games Football tournament was U-23 event in 1993 and 1997.

  • 1993: 4th place
  • 1997: Winners
  • 2001: a U20 event
  • 2005: filled with B team

Honours

Coaching staff
Main article: List of Italy national football team managers

Current technical staff:[2]

Position Name
Head Coach Paolo Nicolato
Assistant Coach Mirco Gasparetto
Goalkeeping Coach Matteo Mareggini
Team Manager Massimo Paganin
Athletic Trainers Vincenzo Pincolini
Match Analyst Francesco Bordin
Doctors Angelo De Carli
Vincenzo Santoriello
Physiotherapists Nicola Sanna
Emiliano Bozzetti
Physiologist Christian Osgnach
Accompanying Manager Vincenzo Marinelli
Secretary Manfredi Martino

Recent results and forthcoming fixtures

Only official matches are listed.[3]

2019
16 June 2019 2019 UEFA Euro U21Italy 3–1 SpainBologna, Italy
21:00 Chiesa  36', 64'
Pellegrini  82' (pen.)		 Report Ceballos  9' Stadium: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
Attendance: 29,580
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)
19 June 2019 2019 UEFA Euro U21Italy 0–1 PolandBologna, Italy
21:00 Report Bielik  40' Stadium: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov (Belarus)
22 June 2019 2019 UEFA Euro U21Belgium 1–3 ItalyReggio Emilia, Italy
21:00 Verschaeren  79' Report Barella  44'
Cutrone  53'
Chiesa  89'		 Stadium: Mapei Stadium
Attendance: 20,075
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (Serbia)
6 September 2019 FriendlyItaly 4–0 MoldovaCatania, Italy
18:30 Scamacca  33'
Frattesi  52', 63'
Tumminello  69'		 Report Stadium: Stadio Angelo Massimino
10 September 2019 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Italy 5–0 LuxembourgCastel di Sangro, Italy
18:30 Locatelli  9' (pen.)
Kean  37' (pen.)
Sottil  62'
Tumminello  68'
Scamacca  77'		 Report Stadium: Stadio Teofilo Patini
10 October 2019 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Republic of Ireland 0–0 ItalyDublin, Ireland
21:05 Report Stadium: Tallaght Stadium
Attendance: 7.231
Referee: Sascha Stegemann (Germany)
14 October 2019 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Armenia 0–1 ItalyYerevan, Armenia
18:30 Report Scamacca  20' Stadium: Yerevan Football Academy Stadium
16 November 2019 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Italy 3–0 IcelandFerrara, Italy
18:30 Sottil  32'
Cutrone  84', 90'		 Report Stadium: Stadio Paolo Mazza
19 November 2019 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Italy 6–0 ArmeniaCatania, Italy
21.00 Kean  15', 41'
Pinamonti  25'
Zanellato  53'
Scamacca  57'
Del Prato  66'
 Report Stadium: Stadio Angelo Massimino
Note: Original starting time (18.30) was postponed due to heavy rain.[4]

2020
8 September 2020 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Sweden v ItalyTBD, Sweden
9 October 2020 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Iceland v ItalyReykjavík, Iceland
Stadium: Víkingsvöllur
13 October 2020 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Italy v Republic of IrelandTBD, Italy
12 November 2020 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Luxembourg v ItalyTBD, Luxembourg
Note: The match was originally scheduled for 26 March 2020, but was postponed on 13 March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.[5]
17 November 2020 2021 UEFA Euro U21 Qual.Italy v SwedenBenevento, Italy
Stadium: Stadio Ciro Vigorito
Note: The match was originally scheduled for 26 March 2020, but was postponed on 13 March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.[6]

Players

Players born in 1998 or later are eligible for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Players in bold have been already capped with the senior team.

Current squad

The following players have been called up the UEFA Euro 2021 qualifying matches against Iceland on 16 November 2019 and Armenia on 19 November 2019.[7]

Caps and goals updated as of 19 November 2019, after the match against Armenia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alessandro Plizzari (2000-03-12) 12 March 2000 1 0 Livorno
12 1GK Marco Carnesecchi (2000-07-01) 1 July 2000 5 0 Trapani
22 1GK Mattia Del Favero (1998-06-05) 5 June 1998 0 0 Piacenza
2 2DF Claud Adjapong (1998-05-06) 6 May 1998 19 0 Verona
3 2DF Alessandro Tripaldelli (1999-02-09) 9 February 1999 2 0 Sassuolo
5 2DF Nicolò Casale (1998-02-14) 14 February 1998 0 0 Venezia
6 2DF Matteo Gabbia (1999-10-21) 21 October 1999 2 0 Milan
13 2DF Luca Ranieri (1999-04-23) 23 April 1999 4 0 Ascoli
15 2DF Enrico Del Prato (1999-11-10) 10 November 1999 5 1 Livorno
16 2DF Davide Bettella (2000-04-07) 7 April 2000 2 0 Pescara
19 2DF Marco Sala (1999-06-04) 4 June 1999 5 0 Virtus Entella
4 3MF Salvatore Esposito (2000-10-07) 7 October 2000 1 0 Chievo
8 3MF Marco Carraro (1998-01-09) 9 January 1998 6 0 Perugia
14 3MF Fabio Maistro (1998-04-05) 5 April 1998 2 0 Salernitana
17 3MF Niccolò Zanellato (1998-06-24) 24 June 1998 5 1 Crotone
18 3MF Giulio Maggiore (1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 4 0 Spezia
21 3MF Manuel Locatelli (Captain) (1998-01-08) 8 January 1998 23 2 Sassuolo
9 4FW Andrea Pinamonti (1999-05-19) 19 May 1999 6 1 Genoa
10 4FW Patrick Cutrone (1998-01-03) 3 January 1998 19 7 Fiorentina
11 4FW Gianluca Scamacca (1999-01-01) 1 January 1999 8 4 Ascoli
20 4FW Moise Kean (2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 9 5 Everton
23 4FW Riccardo Sottil (1999-06-03) 3 June 1999 5 2 Fiorentina

Recent call-ups

Following are listed players called up in the previous 12 months that are still eligible to represent the Under-21 team.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
DF Alessandro Bastoni (1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 12 1 Internazionale v. Iceland, 16 November 2019 INJ
DF Luca Pellegrini (1999-03-07) 7 March 1999 4 0 Cagliari v. Iceland, 16 November 2019 INJ
DF Raoul Bellanova (2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 0 0 Atalanta v. Armenia, 14 October 2019 PRE
DF Riccardo Marchizza (1998-03-26) 26 March 1998 5 0 Spezia v. Republic of Ireland, 10 October 2019 INJ
MF Sandro Tonali (2000-05-08) 8 May 2000 5 0 Brescia v. Iceland, 16 November 2019 PRE
MF Davide Frattesi (1999-09-22) 22 September 1999 4 2 Empoli v. Iceland, 16 November 2019 INJ
MF Nicolò Zaniolo (1999-07-02) 2 July 1999 8 0 Roma v. Luxembourg, 10 September 2019
FW Marco Tumminello (1998-11-06) 6 November 1998 2 2 Pescara v. Luxembourg, 10 September 2019

Records

Top appearances
# Player Period U-21 Caps
1 Andrea Pirlo 1998–2002 37
Francesco Bardi 2011–2015 37
3 Marco Motta 2005–2009 36
4 Matteo Brighi 2000–2004 35
5 Luca Marrone 2009–2013 32

Top goalscorers
# Player Period U-21 Goals
1 Andrea Pirlo 1998–2002 15
Alberto Gilardino 2000–2004 15
3 Manolo Gabbiadini 2010–2013 12
4 Gianluca Vialli 1983–1986 11
Massimo Maccarone 2000–2002 11
6 Christian Vieri 1992–1996 10
Cristiano Lucarelli 1996–1997 10
Robert Acquafresca 2007–2009 10
  • Caps and goals correct as of 1 April 2020

Coaches

See also

References
  1. channel4.com - Football Italia
  2. "Staff" (in Italian). FIGC.
  3. http://www.figc.it/it/nazionali/azzurri/calendari/?nazionaleId=4561&competizioneId=&dataDa=&dataA=
  4. https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Nazionali/EuroU21/19-11-2019/under-21-italia-armenia-posticipata-un-ora-campo-allagato-3501219871914.shtml
  5. "The English FA suspends all activities: England vs. Italy cancelled". FIGC.it. 13 March 2020.
  6. "The English FA suspends all activities: England vs. Italy cancelled". FIGC.it. 13 March 2020.
  7. https://www.figc.it/it/nazionali/news/nazionale-under-21-qualificazioni-europee-23-convocati-per-i-match-con-islanda-e-armenia/
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