Under 21s won a nice easy game 2-0 against Lithuania today to go top of their qualifying group. Two great Strikes from Berardi in the 2nd minute and Benassi in the 24th. Cragno (Cagliari) Calabria (Milan)- Rugani (Juventus)- Romagnoli (Milan)- Barreca (Cagliari) Grassi (Atalanta)- Mandragora (Pescara)- Benassi (Torino) Berardi (Sassuolo)- Monachello (Atalanta)- Bernadeschi (Fiorentina) Adam Masina (Bologna ) came on for his debut for Barreca, Valerio Verre (Pescara) came on for Mandragora and Luca Garritano (Cesena) for Berardi After Di Biagio getting his team selection wrong for the last match in Serbia he changed the front line bringing in Bernadeschi and Monachello and the play was much more fluid than it was with Cerri and Boateng. Grassi came in for the suspended Cataldi and Calabria replaced Conti at right back.
Largo ai giovani! How about a 16 year old GK starting a Milan derby? Serie A - Le pagelle di Milan-Inter 3-0 -
I have a questions...... Why do UEFA choose to field the Under 21 European teams for the nucleus of the Olympic qualifying games when the finals are an Under 23 tournament? What happens to the players who are 21 & 22 years of age in a given Olympic year?
The under-21 championship is actually an under-23 competition - for example, the qualifying date for the 2015 edition was 1.1.1992 - so many of the players will be eligible for the Olympics the following year, the qualifying date for which is 1.1.1993. This was because until 2004 the under-21 championship was held in the same year as the Olympics and UEFA had to adjust the age limit to fit the Olympics after FIFA decided to restrict the Olympics to under 23 players in 1988.
Yes I remember when they changed it. The 1984 & 88 games used professionals of any age but could utilize players who appeared in a WC. My point is why does UEFA continue to use the U21's or the teams that they use for the U21 tournament and not just rename it a U23? Did they actually change it to an Under 23 tournament for both the Euro and Olympics?
Until 1990, the competition was for players under 21, but from 1992 onwards - in order to align it to the Olympics - they changed the age limit to 23, but kept the under 21 title because, they say, players must be under 21 at the start of the competition. However, that is incomprehensible to me because the under 17 and under 19 championships are so called because the players have to be under those ages on 1 January in the year of the championship (for example, the qualifying date for the 2016 under 19 championship is 1/1/1997), so I do not understand why they do not re-title it. Perhaps it is because it fits with the two yearly gaps between UEFA's three age-limited competitions (under 17. under 19 and under 21), but it is misleading for people when they see 22 and 23 year olds playing in an under 21 competition.
I also think the competition would benefit from being under 22 - which fits perfectly with the Olympics given that the qualification championship is held 12 months or so before the Olympics which is under 23 - because by 22 or 23 most promising players should already be featuring for their national teams, although Italy is probably an exception to this.
Thanks for your answer. It still seems somewhat confusing to say the least. On another note, note that it has proven much for the senior Italian national team , but why is it that Italy doesn't or hasn't put much importance in qualifying for the U20 World Cup? Is it because they aren't ready or is it that the FIGC doesn't deem the competition important?
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Italy Under-21 squad for Ireland and Andorra: Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Virtus Lanciano), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Simone Scuffet (Como) Defenders: Antonio Barreca (Cagliari), Davide Calabria (Milan), Mattia Caldara (Cesena), Andrea Conti (Atalanta), Alex Ferrari (Bologna), Adam Masina (Bologna), Alessio Romagnoli (Milan), Daniele Rugani (Juventus) Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Federico Di Francesco (Virtus Lanciano), Rolando Mandragora (Pescara), Luca Mazzitelli (Brescia), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Sassuolo), Stefano Sensi (Cesena) Forwards: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Alberto Cerri (Cagliari), Luca Garritano (Cesena), Gaetano Monachello (Atalanta), Federico Ricci (Crotone), Valerio Lorenzo Rosseti (Cesena)
Interesting that Bernardeschi is named. Does this affect his chances of going this summer for the Azzurri?
It would look like it does. Conte will have Giaccherini in the squad ahead of Bernardeschi this summer.
Not necesserily. Conte can still call up players even already in the Azzurini. He did it with Berardi a couple of times ago, but Berardi couldn't come with an injury. Berardi and Bernardeschi still can come to the friendlies if Conte picks them.
Donnarumma set for his debut today against Irelanda. Donnarumma, Conti, Romagnoli, Caldara, Barreca, Mandragora, Cataldi, Benassi, Berardi, Monachello, Rosseti