It won’t be easy for the Under-17 National Team to repeat what they did a year ago, when they reached the final of the European Championship in England before being defeated on penalties by the Netherlands. However, Italy showed they have all the credentials to do just as well in Ireland in two weeks in qualifying: the Azzurrini scored 22 goals and conceded just once as they made light work of reaching the final tournament. Nunziata’s side will play their first game of the competition against Germany on Saturday 4 May in Dublin, with matches against Austria on Tuesday 7 May in Longford and Spain on Friday 10 May in Dublin then set to follow.

It’ll be a tough group, and the team will gather in Cesenatico from Friday 26 to Tuesday 30 April to start preparing for the aforementioned games. 24 players have been called up by Nunziata, who will announce who has made the 20-man squad for the European Championship on Monday 29 April.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Manuel Gasparini (Udinese), Marco Molla (Bologna), Filippo Rinaldi (Parma);
Defenders: Christian Dalle Mura (Fiorentina), Francesco Lamanna (Juventus), Lorenzo Moretti (Inter), Lorenzo Pirola (Inter), Alessandro Pio Riccio (Juventus), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta), Iyenoma Destiny Udogie (Hellas Verona), Raffaele Spina (Juventus);
Midfielders: Alessandro Arlotti (Monaco), Michael Brentan (Juventus), Samuel Giovane (Atalanta), Simone Panada (Atalanta), Niccolò Squizzato (Inter), Franco Heubang Tongya (Juventus), Simone Trimboli (Sampdoria), Gaetano Oristanio (Inter), Nikola Sekulov (Juventus);
Forwards: Nicholas Bonfanti (Inter), Lorenzo Colombo (Milan), Nicolò Cudrig (Brugge KSV), Sebastiano Esposito (Inter).

Staff – Head Coach: Carmine Nunziata; Assistant Coach: Emanuele Filippini; Secretary: Massimo Petracchini; Fitness Coach: Marco Montini; Goalkeeper Coach: Fabrizio Ferron; Doctor: Piergiorgio Drogo; Physiotherapist: Giuliano Gepponi; Nutritionist: Maria Luisa Cravana