Italy’s Under-21 team has announced a 23-player squad for their friendly fixture against Albania, scheduled for June 8. Due to the senior team’s needs, many regular U21 players are currently unavailable.
Following Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation, the Italian national team is temporarily without a head coach. In the interim, the Under-21 coach, Silvio Baldini, has been promoted to a temporary coaching role.
Baldini had previously selected numerous young players for friendly matches against Greece and Luxembourg. Now, the responsibility for the Under-21 team’s friendly against Albania falls to the Under-20 coach, Carmine Nunziata, who will step up to the U21 bench for this match.
This transition allows Nunziata to bring several promising talents from the Under-20 and Under-19 squads up to the Under-21 level. Notably, the squad includes nine players born in 2006, and Cristian Cama, born in 2007, who was part of the victorious 2024 Under-17 European Championship winning team.
Among the recognized names in the squad are Fiorentina’s Niccolò Fortini, Milan-owned midfielder Kevin Zeroli, and Sampdoria’s young prospect Simone Pafundi.
Italy Under-21 Squad for Albania Friendly:
- Goalkeepers: Diego Mascardi (Spezia), Lapo Siviero (Torino), Lorenzo Torriani (Milan)
- Defenders: Wisdom Amey (Pianese), Adam Bakoune (Monza), Gabriele Calvani (Frosinone), Cristian Cama (Roma), Niccolò Fortini (Fiorentina), Gabriele Guarino (Empoli), Brando Moruzzi (Empoli), Giacomo Stabile (Bari)
- Midfielders: Tommaso Berti (Cesena), Aaron Ciammaglichella (Juve Stabia), Leonardo Colombo (Monza), Mattia Mannini (Juve Stabia), Fabio Rispoli (Catanzaro), Kevin Zeroli (Juve Stabia)
- Forwards: Gabriele Alesi (Catanzaro), Matteo Lavelli (Inter), Alvin Okoro (Juve Stabia), Simone Pafundi (Sampdoria), Emanuele Rao (Bari), Dominic Vavassori (Atalanta)
