Rome, 5 Nov. (LaPresse) – With their return to form now confirmed following their failure to qualify for the World Cup, the national team will reconvene on Sunday evening at Coverciano ahead of their final two Nations League group matches. The two wins secured during the long September/October international break against Turkey, along with the comeback draw in the match against France in Saint-Denis, have seen the Azzurri move up to second place in League A Group 1 on seven points, three behind leaders France and one ahead of Belgium: and it is precisely Les Bleus and the Red Devils who will be Italy’s opponents in the fixtures scheduled for Thursday 12 November at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan (57,000 tickets issued, with the final 3,000 still on sale) and Sunday 15 November at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Already assured of at least third place – and therefore a place amongst the seeded teams for the European qualifying draw scheduled for 6 December in Belfast – Italy are chasing further points to secure their place in League A (the top two third-placed teams qualify directly without needing to go through play-offs) and with the ambition of finishing the group in the top two positions, thereby securing a place in the quarter-finals. Whilst Roberto Mancini had relied on an expanded squad of 34 players for the first four matches – spread over eleven days – this time the manager has called up 31. Four young players are making their first call-up to the senior national team: Riccardo Cassano, a midfielder born in 2009 who plays for Como; Simone Lontani, a midfielder born in 2008 who plays for Parma; Alphadjo Cisse, a striker born in 2006 who plays for Milan; and Mattia Liberali, a striker born in 2007 who plays for Como. As for Cassano and Lontani, Mancini has called them up so he can observe them closely and give them a valuable opportunity to showcase their talents: they will not remain with the squad for the entire duration of the training camp, but in the coming days they will join the Under-18 and Under-19 national teams, who are competing respectively in the World Cup, which kicks off on 19 November in Qatar, and in the second round of European Championship qualifiers, scheduled for 11–17 November in the Marche region.
Football: Italy squad announced; first call-ups for Cassano, Lontani, Cisse and Liberali
Rome, 5 Nov. (LaPresse) – With their return to form now confirmed following their failure to qualify for the World Cup, the national team will reconvene on Sunday evening at Coverciano ahead of their final two Nations League group matches. The two wins secured during the long September/October international break against Turkey, along with the comeback draw in the match against France in Saint-Denis, have seen the Azzurri move up to second place in League A Group 1 on seven points, three behind leaders France and one ahead of Belgium: and it is precisely Les Bleus and the Red Devils who will be Italy’s opponents in the fixtures scheduled for Thursday 12 November at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan (57,000 tickets issued, with the final 3,000 still on sale) and Sunday 15 November at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Already assured of at least third place – and therefore a place amongst the seeded teams for the European qualifying draw scheduled for 6 December in Belfast – Italy are chasing further points to secure their place in League A (the top two third-placed teams qualify directly without needing to go through play-offs) and with the ambition of finishing the group in the top two positions, thereby securing a place in the quarter-finals. Whilst Roberto Mancini had relied on an expanded squad of 34 players for the first four matches – spread over eleven days – this time the manager has called up 31. Four young players are making their first call-up to the senior national team: Riccardo Cassano, a midfielder born in 2009 who plays for Como; Simone Lontani, a midfielder born in 2008 who plays for Parma; Alphadjo Cisse, a striker born in 2006 who plays for Milan; and Mattia Liberali, a striker born in 2007 who plays for Como. As for Cassano and Lontani, Mancini has called them up so he can observe them closely and give them a valuable opportunity to showcase their talents: they will not remain with the squad for the entire duration of the training camp, but in the coming days they will join the Under-18 and Under-19 national teams, who are competing respectively in the World Cup, which kicks off on 19 November in Qatar, and in the second round of European Championship qualifiers, scheduled for 11–17 November in the Marche region.