The National team returns to the field to play through the playoffs the last chance to win the pass for the Qatar 2022 World Cup: first the semifinal against North Macedonia (‘Renzo Barbera’ Stadium in Palermo, Thursday 24 March at 8.45 pm) and , if successful, the final against the winner of Portugal-Turkey (Tuesday 29 March, in Porto or Konya). For the occasion, the coach Roberto Mancini has called up 33 players, who will reach the Federal Technical Center with a staggered arrival at the end of their respective league commitments.
The group includes Lazio defender Luiz Felipe and Cagliari striker Joao Pedro, both on their first call-up to the national team after the call in the internship at the end of January, while Mattia Zaccagni is on the second call after the one in November 2020. Matteo Politano, who took the field last time in the pre-European friendly with San Marino, Stefano Sensi and Pierluigi Gollini, absent from September 2021, return to wear the blue shirt. Manuel Locatelli, positive at Covid-19, will reach retirement at the end of the period of sanitary isolation.
After the two training sessions scheduled in Coverciano on Monday and Tuesday, on Wednesday the national team will move to Palermo – where in the afternoon it will support the finishing training at the ‘Barbera’ stadium – to return to Coverciano immediately after the match. The transfer to the venue of the second match is scheduled on the eve of the match, Monday 28 March.
The list of those called up
Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint Germain), Pierluigi Gollini (Tottenham), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Naples), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon), Alessandro Florenzi (Milan), Luiz Felipe (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Rome);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Rome), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Rome), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Stefano Sensi (Sampdoria), Sandro Tonali (Milan), Marco Verratti ( Paris Saint Germain);
Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Turin), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Naples), Joao Pedro (Cagliari), Matteo Politano (Naples), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo) Mattia Zaccagni ( Lazio), Nicolò Zaniolo (Rome);
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