Italy lost the European Under-19 Championship Final, capitulating 4-0 to a far more experienced France side.
Les Bleuets lifted the trophy for the third time after 2005 and 2010. Paolo Vanoli’s Azzurrini reached their first European Under-19 Championship Final since 2003, having eliminated England in the semi-finals and remained unbeaten in 10 games. France were the favourites going in, with Monaco striker Kylian Mbappè a particular star name and many of them already with top flight experience.
Italy lost the European Under-19 Championship Final, capitulating 4-0 to a far more experienced France side.
Les Bleuets lifted the trophy for the third time after 2005 and 2010. Paolo Vanoli’s Azzurrini reached their first European Under-19 Championship Final since 2003, having eliminated England in the semi-finals and remained unbeaten in 10 games. France were the favourites going in, with Monaco striker Kylian Mbappè a particular star name and many of them already with top flight experience.
It took just six minutes to break the deadlock, as Jean-Kevin Augustin gathered between the centre-backs, spun round quickly and managed to draw out Alex Meret to score from a tight angle.
Mbappè and Simone Minelli were off target, but the Italian defence was again caught out by Ludovic Blas with a header on Clement Michelin’s cross at the near post.
Italy fought back towards the break, as Andrea Favilli’s header was deflected inches over the bar and from the resulting corner Minelli hit the side-netting.
The Azzurrini saw a lot more of the ball in the second half, but Meret still had to palm a Blas screamer out from under the bar. Favilli scuffed a promising opportunity, Jerome Onguene’s free header skimmed the woodwork from a corner and Meret got down well to deny a ferocious Augustin free kick.
Meret was unlucky on the third goal, as Lucas Tousart’s hopeful snapshot took a big deflection off Filippo Romagna to squirm in at the near post.
There was even room at the end for Marcus Thuram, the son of Vanoli’s former Parma teammate Lilian. Francesco Cassata forced a save and Paul Bernardoni had to flap a long ball out from under the bar, but it was too little, too late.
Indeed, deep into stoppages Issa Diop’s free header from six yards bounced in off the underside of the crossbar from a Christ-Emmanuel Maouassa cross.
France 4-0 Italy
Augustin 6 (F), Blas 19 (F), Tousart 83 (F), Diop 92 (F)
France: Bernardoni; Michelin, Onguene, Diop, Maouassa; Blas (Ghelin 81), Poha (Thuram 85), Tousart, Mbappè; Harit (Fuchs 91), Augustin
Italy: Meret; Vittiruni, Romagna, Coppolaro, Dimarco; Ghiglione (Cassata 78), Barella, Locatelli, Picchi (Cutrone 46); Favilli, Minelli (Edera 56)
Ref: Aghayev (AZE)