Roberto Mancini named his Italy squad for Euro 2020, including Sassuolo striker Giacomo Raspadori, as Gianluca Mancini, Matteo Pessina and Matteo Politano are cut.
Click here to read Football Italia’s player-by-player guide for the Azzurri team.
The Azzurri are in Group A with Switzerland, Turkey and Wales, opening the tournament at the Stadio Olimpico against Turkey on June 11.
There were some doubts remaining as Mancini had to whittle down the provisional 28-man squad to 26.
“We hope that this adventure lasts as long as possible and we can make the Italians happy,” said Mancini on primetime television special Notte Azzurra this evening, although it was recorded last night.
“Our Nazionale was born after the disappointment of the 2018 World Cup and many young players came in, plus we fortunately started strong and that helped create this positive atmosphere.”
The deadline is midnight tonight, and it was believed there were essentially two question marks.
Stefano Sensi’s fitness was one concern, with the Inter midfielder battling more versatile Roma man Bryan Cristante for a spot in the team.
The other was in defence, where Roma’s Gianluca Mancini was up against Rafael Toloi of Atalanta.
However, the coach surprised everyone by cutting Mancini, Pessina and Politano, but bringing in Sassuolo forward Raspadori.
He was available because Italy crashed out of the Under-21 European Championship following a 5-3 defeat in extra time against Portugal.
Goalkeepers: 21 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), 26 Alex Meret (Napoli), 1 Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)
Defenders: 15 Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), 23 Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), 19 Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), 3 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 2 Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), 13 Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), 24 Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint Germain), 4 Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), 25 Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)
Midfielders: 18 Nicolò Barella (Inter), 16 Bryan Cristante (Roma), 8 Frello Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Chelsea), 5 Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), 7 Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), 12 Stefano Sensi (Inter), 6 Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain)
Forwards: 9 Andrea Belotti (Torino), 11 Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), 20 Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), 14 Federico Chiesa (Juventus), 17 Ciro Immobile (Lazio), 10 Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), 22 Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)