Italy national under-21 football team

Italy national under-21 football team
Medal record
Men's Football

Italy Under-21
Nickname(s)	Gli Azzurrini ; (The Little Blues)
Association	Italian Football Federation ; (Federazion Italia Giuoco Calcio – FIGC)
Head coach	Carmine Nunziata
Captain	Lorenzo Pirola
Most caps	Andrea Pirlo (46)
Top scorer	Alberto Gilardino (19)
First colours	Second colours
First international
	U-23: Italy 3–1 Austria ; (Varese, Italy; 1 November 1970); U-21: Portugal 1–0 Italy ; (Funchal, Italy; 23 December 1976)
Biggest win
	Italy 7–0 Estonia ; (Catanzaro, Italy; 23 March 1995); Italy 8–1 Wales ; (Pavia, Italy; 5 September 2003); Italy 7–0 Liechtenstein ; (Casarano, Italy; 6 September 2012); San Marino 0–7 Italy ; (Serravale, San Marino; 16 November 2023); Italy 7–0 San Marino ; (Latina, Italy; 5 September 2024)
Biggest defeat
	Norway 6–0 Italy ; (Stavanger, Norway; 5 June 1991); Records for competitive; matches only.
Olympic Games
Appearances	5 (first in 1992)
Best result	Bronze medallist (2004)
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances	22 (first in 1978)
Best result	Champions (1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2004)
Medal record
Medal record
Men's Football

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

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]

Honours

UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Winner: 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2004
Runner-up: 1986, 2013

Summer Olympics

Third place: 2004

Mediterranean Games

Winner: 1997

Maurice Revello Tournament

Winner: 2008
Third place: 2011, 2024

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
1978	Quarter-finals
1980
1982
1984	Semi-finals
1986	Runners-up
1988	Quarter-finals
1990	Semi-finals
1992	Champions
1994
1996
1998	Did not qualify
2000	Champions
2002	Semi-finals
2004	Champions
2006	Group stage
2007	Group stage
2009	Semi-finals
2011	Did not qualify
2013	Runners-up
2015	Group stage
2017	Semi-finals
2019	Group stage
2021	Quarter-finals
2023	Group stage
2025	Qualified
Total	22/24

*Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Olympics football Record

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.

Before 1992: See Italy national football team
1992: Quarter-finals
1996: Group stage
2000: Quarter-finals
2004: Bronze medal
2008: Quarter-finals
2012: Did not qualify
2016: Did not qualify
2020: Did not qualify
2024: Did not qualify

Overage players in Olympic Games

Tournament	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3
1996	Gianluca Pagliuca (GK)	Massimo Crippa (MF)	Marco Branca (FW)
2000	Did not select
2004	Matteo Ferrari (DF)	Andrea Pirlo (MF)	Did not select
2008	Tommaso Rocchi (FW)	Did not select

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

Coaches

1976–1986: Azeglio Vicini
1986–1996: Cesare Maldini
1996–1997: Rossano Giampaglia
1997–2000: Marco Tardelli
2000–2006: Claudio Gentile
2006–2010: Pierluigi Casiraghi
2010–2012: Ciro Ferrara
2012–2013: Devis Mangia
2013–2019: Luigi Di Biagio
2019–2023: Paolo Nicolato
2023–present: Carmine Nunziata

Coaching staff

Current technical staff:^[2]

Position	Name
Head coach	Carmine Nunziata
Assistant coaches	Emanuele Filippini Matteo Brighi
Goalkeeping coach	Fabrizio Ferron
Athletic trainer	Vito Azzone
Match analyst	Marco Mannucci
Doctors	Daniele Mazza Vincenzo Santoriello
Physiotherapists	Nicola Sanna Emiliano Bozzetti
Osteopath	Cristiano Pompili
Head of Delegation	Mauro Balata
Secretary	Manfredi Martino

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of matches played in the past 12 months and future matches that have been scheduled. Only official matches are listed.^[3]

2024

22 March 2024 (2024-03-22) 2025 Championship qual.	Italy	2–0	Latvia	Cesena, Italy
	Casadei 32' Fabbian 79'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Dino Manuzzi

26 March 2024 (2024-03-26) 2025 Championship qual.	Italy	1–1	Turkey	Ferrara, Italy
18:15	Ghilardi 50'	Report	Kılıçsoy 90+1'	Stadium: Stadio Paolo Mazza Referee: Cesar Soto Grado (Spain)

4 June 2024 (2024-06-04) Maurice Revello Tournament	Italy	4–3	Japan U20	Vitrolles, France
15:00	Fini 10' Fabbian 22' (pen.) Raimondo 59', 70'	Report	Shiogai 45', 62', 85'	Stadium: Stade Jules-Ladoumègue Referee: Susan Corella (Ecuador)

6 June 2024 (2024-06-06) Maurice Revello Tournament	Ukraine U23	4–0	Italy	Aubagne, France
15:00	Khlan 31' Martynyuk 53' Sikan 63' Voloshyn 71'	Report		Stadium: Stade de Lattre-de-Tassigny Referee: Antsino Twanyanyukwa (Namibia)

10 June 2024 (2024-06-10) Maurice Revello Tournament	Italy	2–2 (4–1 p)	Panama U23	Aubagne, France
18:15	Ndour 40', 90+6'	Report	Phillips 23' Alvarado 26'	Stadium: Stade de Lattre-de-Tassigny Referee: Lê Thị Ly (Vietnam)
	Penalties
	Volpato Cerri Hasa Tongya		Tello Orelien Matos

12 June 2024 (2024-06-12) Maurice Revello Tournament	Italy	1–0	Indonesia U20	Salon-de-Provence, France
18:15	Raimondo 38'	Report		Stadium: Stade d'Honneur Marcel Roustan Referee: Odette Hamilton (Jamaica)

16 June 2024 Maurice Revello Tournament	Italy	1–0	France U20	Salon-de-Provence, France
14:30	Cerri 89'	Report		Stadium: Stade d'Honneur Marcel Roustan Referee: Lê Thị Ly (Vietnam)

5 September 2024 (2024-09-05) 2025 Championship qual.	Italy	7–0	San Marino	Latina, Italy
16:45	Bove 35' Matteoni 38' (o.g.) Esposito 58', 76', 78', 90+1' Raimondo 81'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Domenico Francioni Referee: Marek Radina (Czech Republic)

10 September 2024 (2024-09-10) 2025 Championship qual.	Norway	0–3	Italy	Stavanger, Norway
18:30		Report	Baldanzi 10', 72', 80'	Stadium: Viking Stadion

15 October 2024 (2024-10-15) 2025 Championship qual.	Italy	1–1	Republic of Ireland	Trieste, Italy
18:30	Casadei 23'	Report	Moran 66'	Stadium: Stadio Nereo Rocco Referee: Adam Ladebäck (Sweden)

15 November 2024 (2024-11-15) Friendly	Italy	2–2	France	Empoli, Italy
16:15	Casadei 16' Ambrosino 44'	Report	Cherki 58' Atangana 65'	Stadium: Stadio Carlo Castellani

19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) Friendly	Italy	2–2	Ukraine	La Spezia, Italy
18:15	Fabbian 26' Esposito 45'	Report		Stadium: Stadio Alberto Picco

2025

11 June 2026 (2026-06-11) 2025 UEFA U21C RR	Italy	v	Romania	Trnava, Slovakia
				Stadium: Anton Malatinský Stadium

14 June 2026 (2026-06-14) 2025 UEFA U21C RR	Slovakia	v	Italy	Trnava, Slovakia
				Stadium: Anton Malatinský Stadium

17 June 2026 (2026-06-17) 2025 UEFA U21C RR	Spain	v	Italy	Trnava, Slovakia
				Stadium: Anton Malatinský Stadium

Players

Players born in 2002 or later are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Players in bold have been already capped with the senior team.

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendlies against France and Ukraine on 15 and 19 November 2024.^[4]

Caps and goals as of 19 November 2024, after the match against Ukraine.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1GK	Sebastiano Desplanches	(2003-03-11) 11 March 2003 (age 21)	11	0	Palermo
1GK	Gioele Zacchi	(2003-07-10) 10 July 2003 (age 21)	5	0	Latina
1GK	Jacopo Sassi	(2003-07-24) 24 July 2003 (age 21)	2	0	Modena

2DF	Lorenzo Pirola (captain)	(2002-02-20) 20 February 2002 (age 22)	20	3	Olympiacos
2DF	Mattia Zanotti	(2003-02-11) 11 February 2003 (age 21)	13	0	Lugano
2DF	Matteo Ruggeri	(2002-07-11) 11 July 2002 (age 22)	12	0	Atalanta
2DF	Daniele Ghilardi	(2003-01-06) 6 January 2003 (age 21)	11	1	Hellas Verona
2DF	Riccardo Turicchia	(2003-02-05) 5 February 2003 (age 21)	8	0	Catanzaro
2DF	Diego Coppola	(2003-12-28) 28 December 2003 (age 20)	7	0	Hellas Verona
2DF	Nicolò Bertola	(2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 21)	6	0	Spezia
2DF	Giovanni Bonfanti	(2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 21)	4	0	Pisa
2DF	Michael Kayode	(2004-07-10) 10 July 2004 (age 20)	4	0	Fiorentina
2DF	Gabriele Guarino	(2004-04-14) 14 April 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Carrarese
2DF	Marco Palestra	(2005-03-03) 3 March 2005 (age 19)	1	0	Atalanta

3MF	Cher Ndour	(2004-07-27) 27 July 2004 (age 20)	15	2	Beşiktaş
3MF	Cesare Casadei	(2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 (age 21)	12	3	Chelsea
3MF	Giovanni Fabbian	(2003-01-14) 14 January 2003 (age 21)	12	4	Bologna
3MF	Fabio Miretti	(2003-08-03) 3 August 2003 (age 21)	11	1	Genoa
3MF	Matteo Prati	(2003-12-28) 28 December 2003 (age 20)	10	0	Cagliari

4FW	Wilfried Gnonto	(2003-11-05) 5 November 2003 (age 21)	12	5	Leeds United
4FW	Francesco Pio Esposito	(2005-06-28) 28 June 2005 (age 19)	11	7	Spezia
4FW	Cristian Volpato	(2003-11-15) 15 November 2003 (age 21)	8	1	Sassuolo
4FW	Giuseppe Ambrosino	(2003-09-10) 10 September 2003 (age 21)	5	1	Frosinone
4FW	Simone Pafundi	(2006-03-14) 14 March 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Lausanne

Recent call-ups

Following are listed players called up in the previous twelve months who are still eligible to represent the under-21 team.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Filippo Rinaldi	(2002-12-04) 4 December 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Feralpisalò	2024 Toulon Tournament

DF	Nicolò Savona	(2003-03-19) 19 March 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Juventus	v. Republic of Ireland, 15 October 2024
DF	Pietro Comuzzo	(2005-02-20) 20 February 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Fiorentina	v. Republic of Ireland, 15 October 2024
DF	Mattia Viti	(2002-01-24) 24 January 2002 (age 22)	6	0	Empoli	v. Republic of Ireland, 15 October 2023 ^PRE
DF	Davide Veroli	(2003-01-29) 29 January 2003 (age 21)	4	0	Sampdoria	v. Norway, 10 September 2024
DF	Christian Dalle Mura	(2002-02-02) 2 February 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Cosenza	2024 Toulon Tournament
DF	Edoardo Pieragnolo	(2003-01-03) 3 January 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Sassuolo	2024 Toulon Tournament
DF	Alessandro Fontanarosa	(2003-02-07) 7 February 2003 (age 21)	1	0	Reggiana	2024 Toulon Tournament
DF	Riccardo Calafiori	(2002-05-19) 19 May 2002 (age 22)	8	0	Arsenal	v. Turkey, 26 March 2024

MF	Edoardo Bove	(2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 (age 22)	14	1	Fiorentina	v. France, 15 November 2024 ^PRE
MF	Tommaso Baldanzi	(2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 21)	6	4	Roma	v. France, 15 November 2024 ^INJ
MF	Alessandro Bianco	(2002-10-01) 1 October 2002 (age 22)	5	1	Monza	v. France, 15 November 2024 ^PRE
MF	Jacopo Fazzini	(2003-03-16) 16 March 2003 (age 21)	3	0	Empoli	v. Republic of Ireland, 15 October 2024
MF	Niccolò Pisilli	(2004-09-23) 23 September 2004 (age 20)	7	0	Roma	v. Norway, 10 September 2024
MF	Franco Tongya	(2002-03-13) 13 March 2002 (age 22)	5	0	Salernitana	v. Norway, 10 September 2024
MF	Luis Hasa	(2004-01-06) 6 January 2004 (age 20)	3	0	Lecce	2024 Toulon Tournament
MF	Federico Zuccon	(2004-04-01) 1 April 2004 (age 20)	3	0	Juve Stabia	2024 Toulon Tournament
MF	Giacomo Faticanti	(2004-07-31) 31 July 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Juventus Next Gen	2024 Toulon Tournament

FW	Luca Koleosho	(2004-09-15) 15 September 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Burnley	v. France, 15 November 2024 ^PRE
FW	Antonio Raimondo	(2004-03-18) 18 March 2004 (age 20)	7	4	Venezia	v. Republic of Ireland, 15 October 2024
FW	Sebastiano Esposito	(2002-07-02) 2 July 2002 (age 22)	11	0	Empoli	2024 Toulon Tournament
FW	Leonardo Cerri	(2003-03-04) 4 March 2003 (age 21)	4	1	Carrarese	2024 Toulon Tournament
FW	Seydou Fini	(2006-06-02) 2 June 2006 (age 18)	4	1	Excelsior	2024 Toulon Tournament
FW	Rachid Kouda	(2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Spezia	2024 Toulon Tournament
FW	Lorenzo Colombo	(2002-03-08) 8 March 2002 (age 22)	20	4	Empoli	v. Turkey, 26 March 2024
FW	Gaetano Oristanio	(2002-09-28) 28 September 2002 (age 22)	7	0	Venezia	v. Turkey, 26 March 2024
^INJ Withdrew due to injury ^PRE Preliminary squad

Records

Players in bold are still eligible to represent the Under-21 team. Caps and goals with the Olympic team are included.

Most appearances

The following is the top 10 most capped under-21 players:^[5]

Rank	Player	Period	Caps	Goals
1	Andrea Pirlo	1998–2002	46	16
2	Marco Motta	2005–2009	42	1
3	Francesco Bardi	2011–2015	37	0
4	Matteo Brighi	2000–2004	35	2
5	Daniele Bonera	2001–2004	34	0
6	Matteo Ferrari	1999–2002	33	3
7	Luca Marrone	2009–2013	32	1
7	Alessandro Rosina	2004–2007	32	4
9	Luca Caldirola	2010–2013	31	1
9	Marco Donadel	2004–2006	31	1

Top goalscorers

The following is the top 10 under-21 goalscorers:^[6]

Rank	Player	Period	Goals	Caps	Ratio
1	Alberto Gilardino	2000–2004	19	30	0.63
2	Andrea Pirlo	1998–2002	16	46	0.34
3	Manolo Gabbiadini	2010–2013	12	24	0.5
4	Massimo Maccarone	2000–2002	11	15	0.73
	Gianluca Vialli	1983–1986	11	20	0.55
	Patrick Cutrone	2017–2021	11	25	0.44
7	Cristiano Lucarelli	1996–1997	10	10	1
	Robert Acquafresca	2007–2009	10	16	0.62
	Christian Vieri	1992–1996	10	19	0.52
10	Gianluca Scamacca	2018–2021	9	15	0.6
	Ciro Immobile	2009–2013	9	16	0.56
	Andrea Belotti	2013–2015	9	18	0.5
	Roberto Mancini	1982–1986	9	26	0.34
	Alberto Paloschi	2008–2013	9	29	0.31

Notes

References

^ "Categories - All 4". www.channel4.com.
^ "Staff" (in Italian). FIGC. 18 March 2021.
^ "FIGC". www.figc.it. 7 February 2020.
^ "Azzurrini al lavoro verso il doppio test contro Francia e Ucraina. Nunziata: "Due partite per capire il nostro livello". Convocato Pafundi" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 11 November 2024.
^ "Classifica Presenze". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (in Italian). 24 September 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
^ "Classifica Marcatori". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (in Italian). 5 August 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

External links

Official website, Italian language
Official website, English language
The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21/U-23 Championships.

[1] "Categories - All 4". www.channel4.com.

[2] "Staff" (in Italian). FIGC. 18 March 2021.

[3] "FIGC". www.figc.it. 7 February 2020.

[4] "Azzurrini al lavoro verso il doppio test contro Francia e Ucraina. Nunziata: "Due partite per capire il nostro livello". Convocato Pafundi" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 11 November 2024.

[5] "Classifica Presenze". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (in Italian). 24 September 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

[6] "Classifica Marcatori". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (in Italian). 5 August 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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