Italy Under-21 coach Carmine Nunziata warns his players to take nothing for granted against San Marino and will ‘pick the best line-up’ rather than rotate for the Republic of Ireland.
The Azzurrini have seven points from their first three games in the qualifying campaign for the European Under-21 Championship of 2025 and will face San Marino on Thursday afternoon.
After that is the showdown with the group leaders the Republic of Ireland, but Nunziata warns against taking anything for granted.
“I always pick the best line-up for the game, regardless of the opponents. If there is then time and space to let others play, then that is very welcome,” said the coach.
“I want a team that plays its football and has intensity. These players did well at Under-17 and Under-20 level, so you don’t get those results as a fluke. We showed good intensity against Norway, but less so in terms of quality, so I want to see an improvement tomorrow.
“San Marino defend and counter, so preventative marking and aggressive pressing are fundamental. Too often people assume that motivation just comes from pulling on the Italy shirt, but you have to seek that motivation out and not make mistakes, which is what we did against Latvia.”