Football: First call-up for Coppola in the Azzurri, Acerbi, Orsolini, and Zappacosta return

Rome, May 26 (LaPresse) – The Italian National Team’s qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup begins with two matches: in Oslo against Norway and in Reggio Emilia against Moldova. Between Friday, June 6 and Monday, June 9, the Azzurri will play their first two official games in Group I, which also includes Estonia and Israel. Diego Coppola, a defender from Hellas Verona who was already included by Carmine Nunziata in the Under-21 squad for the European Championship preparation camp, is the new face in the list of 27 players called up by head coach Luciano Spalletti. The first group of 21 players will meet on Saturday, May 31, at the Coverciano Technical Center. On the evening of Monday, June 2, six players who played in the Champions League final on Saturday night will join the squad: Inter’s Acerbi, Barella, Bastoni, Dimarco, and Frattesi, plus Donnarumma, the goalkeeper of Paris Saint-Germain. After three and a half years, Davide Zappacosta returns to the squad — his last call-up was in November 2021. Riccardo Orsolini (last called in June 2024) and Francesco Acerbi, absent since March 2024, also reappear after about a year. Among the call-ups are also four players who won the Serie A title with Napoli (Meret, Buongiorno, Di Lorenzo, and Raspadori) and two Europa League winners with Tottenham, Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie.