Baldini Calls Up 26 Players for Friendlies Against France and Belgium, Euro U21 Preparation
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- Pelatih Silvio Baldini memanggil 26 pemain untuk memperkuat Italia U21 dalam laga persahabatan melawan Prancis dan Belgia bulan November.
- Beberapa pemain yang sempat dipromosikan ke tim senior kini kembali memperkuat Azzurrini, termasuk Bartesaghi dan Lulli.
- Laga ini menjadi pemanasan penting sebelum putaran final Euro U21 musim panas mendatang.
Italy U21 coach Silvio Baldini has officially announced a 26-man squad for two friendly matches against France and Belgium next November. The fixtures are part of the Azzurrini's preparation for the U21 European Championship finals, which will be held next summer.
Interestingly, the friendly schedule runs opposite to that of the senior Italy team, which will also face France and Belgium. The U21 side will travel to France first, then host Belgium at home, while the senior team plays the reverse order. Both matches are friendlies after the Euro U21 qualifying phase concluded last month.
In the last qualifiers, Italy U21 recorded an important 1-0 win over Armenia, then thrashed Poland 6-2. Those wins flipped their position in the group standings and secured their ticket to the finals. Now the focus shifts to preparation for two strong European sides.
In the released list, Baldini recalled several players who had previously featured for the senior team last month, such as Massimo Pessina, Eddy Kouadio, and Samuele Inacio. There are also players who were considered for the senior team but ultimately stayed with the U21s, namely Davide Bartesaghi (Milan) and Emanuele Lulli (Roma). Cher Ndour also remains with the Azzurrini.
However, Italy U21 are without main striker Antonio Raimondo, who is still injured. Nevertheless, Frosinone still contribute four players: Lorenzo Palmisani, Gabriele Calvani, Matteo Cichella, and Seydou Fini. Meanwhile, Luca Koleosho, a regular in this season's Euro U21 qualifiers, has been promoted to the senior team for the November matches.
Full Italy U21 squad list:
| Position | Name | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Giovanni Daffara | Parma |
| Goalkeeper | Diego Mascardi | Torino |
| Goalkeeper | Lorenzo Palmisani | Frosinone |
| Goalkeeper | Massimo Pessina | Bologna |
| Defender | Davide Bartesaghi | Milan |
| Defender | Gabriele Calvani | Frosinone |
| Defender | Fabio Chiarodia | Borussia M'Gladbach |
| Defender | Pietro Comuzzo | Torino |
| Defender | Eddy Kouadio | Monza |
| Defender | Emanuele Lulli | Roma |
| Defender | Filippo Mane | Borussia Dortmund |
| Defender | Brando Moruzzi | Avellino |
| Midfielder | Lorenzo Amatucci | Deportivo La Coruna |
| Midfielder | Tommaso Berti | Cremonese |
| Midfielder | Matteo Cichella | Frosinone |
| Midfielder | Matteo Dagasso | Venezia |
| Midfielder | Giacomo Faticanti | Avellino |
| Midfielder | Luca Lipani | Sassuolo |
| Midfielder | Cher Ndour | Fiorentina |
| Forward | Alessio Cacciamani | Torino |
| Forward | Francesco Camarda | Milan |
| Forward | Luigi Cherubini | Benevento |
| Forward | Jeff Ekhator | Juventus |
| Forward | Seydou Fini | Frosinone |
| Forward | Samuele Inacio | Borussia Dortmund |
| Forward | Dominic Vavassori | Palermo |
With a composition that combines players experienced at U21 level and rising young talents, Baldini has the chance to test the depth of his squad before the real tournament. The friendlies against France and Belgium will be a benchmark for how ready the Azzurrini are to compete at Europe's highest level.
The question is, can Italy U21 use these two matches to find their best formula before Euro U21? The Italian public will certainly hope this young generation can follow in the footsteps of the senior team that succeeded at Euro 2020.
