The Italy Under-19 squad won the U19 European Championship after beating Portugal in the finals, so who helped guide the Azzurrini to glory?
Alberto Bollini’s side shined at the tournament in Malta, winning all but one of their games in the competition on route to winning the first European Championship in 20 years for the U19 side.
A long list of emerging talents took part in the U19 Euros for Italy, so here’s 16 of the brightest sparks in the Azzurrini squad.
1 – Davide Mastrantonio (goalkeeper)
The Roma youth product guarded the net for the entirety of Italy’s campaign and shined apart from a shaking performance against Poland, making impressive saves throughout the competition to keep things safe at the back.
2 – Filippo Missori (defender)
Fresh from his move from Roma to Sassuolo, the defender looked calm and confident throughout his time in Malta and seems set to feature often under new coach Alessio Dionisi in the coming Serie A season.
3 – Iacopo Regonesi (defender)
The Atalanta left back showed his adaptability and tactical flexibility for Italy, able to feature as both a full back and a midfielder in a three or four-man system. He is the son of former Atalanta and Juventus left back Pierre Giorgio Regonesi.
4 – Lorenzo Dellavalle (defender)
The Juventus centre back played every available minute for the Azzurrini in Malta, showing off his on-pitch intelligence, his marking and ability to play the ball from out the back. He could soon find his way into the Juventus NextGen squad.
5 – Alessandro Dellavalle (defender)
The Torino teenager, cousin of Lorenzo, did not feature heavily in the early stages of the European Championship but played the full 90 minutes of both the semi-final and the final, finally getting a chance to show his defensive abilities. He’ll be hoping to receive some first team minutes from Ivan Juric.
6 – Fabio Chiarodia (defender)
Born in Germany to Italian parents, the 18-year-old recently made a €2m move from Werder Bremen to Borussia Monchengladbach. He only made one appearance at the tournament for Italy, but looks set to grow into an intriguing defender.
7 – Michael Kayode (defender)
The Fiorentina right back became the hero in Malta after scoring the decisive goal for the Azzurrini in their 1-0 win over Portugal in the final. After being discarded by Juventus and spending time in Serie D, the teenager has now grown into an exciting and flexible full back.
8 – Giacomo Faticanti (midfielder)
The Roma talent was part of the Italy U20 squad that lost in their World Cup final, but did not let the disappointment derail his time with the U19 side. After missing the first two group games, the team captain started their remaining three matches, resembling Daniele De Rossi with his leadership and physicality.
9 – Cher Ndour (midfielder)
The 18-year-old recently switched Benfica for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer and was a regular part of the Azzurrini squad in Malta, taking part in four of their five outings, missing the semi-final win over Spain through suspension. In general, he had a quiet tournament, so he’ll be looking to prove himself next season.
10 – Niccolo Pisilli (midfielder)
Another Roma youth product, the teenager hardly featured for the U20 side at the World Cup, but he appeared much more regularly at the U19 European Championship, where he scored a key goal in the 3-2 semi-final win over Spain.
11 – Luis Hasa (midfielder)
The Juventus trequartista was the key creator for Bollini’s side at the tournament, scoring one goal and providing four assists across the five games. He’ll soon head to the NextGen squad, but could even dream of a chance with Massimiliano Allegri’s first team.
12 – Samuele Vignato (forward)
The younger brother of Bologna’s Emanuel Vignato, the Monza talent delighted with his work on the ball and his two goals helped the Azzurrini secure victory in Malta. He’ll be expecting more regular minutes with the Biancorossi first team in the coming campaign.
13 – Francesco Pio Esposito (forward)
The Inter youth product couldn’t help Italy taste victory at the U20 World Cup but things were more positive with the U19 side, even if he still only managed one goal at the tournament. His hold-up play and intelligence help make him a useful part of attacking moves.
14 – Luca Koleosho (forward)
The New York-born RCD Espanyol winger appeared in all five of Italy’s matches in Malta but struggled to assert himself, failing to directly contribute to a goal. He has also been the part of the United States’ and Canada’s national team set-ups.
15 – Nicolo Turco (forward)
The Juventus striker was mostly a bit-part player under Bollini and he failed to find the back of the net at the European Championship, providing just one assist in the 4-0 win over Malta. Not the most personally memorable tournament.
16 – Luca D’Andrea (forward)
The Sassuolo talent started the tournament brightly with a goal from a free-kick – making up for his missed penalty – but muscle injuries limited his contributions in Malta, leaving him on the bench for the final three matches.
Luis Hasa is Albanian who plays for Italy.
I hope he does not turn Italy down in the future
All these young guys should go over to other leagues to play since serie a teams will not , which is sad. They rather bring some player from South America or another euro country. Well best of luck to these kids.