Italy’s head coach Luciano Spalletti has finalized his 26-man squad for the upcoming 2024 European Championship. Despite missing the last game due to injury, midfielder Nicolò Barella has been included in the squad. Barella, who plays for Inter Milan, is considered a key player in Spalletti’s plans and his minor muscle strain was not enough to keep him out of the squad.
Federico Gatti, who was brought in following the withdrawal of Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini, has secured his place in the final squad. However, Ivan Provedel will not be part of the team, as doubts linger over the fitness of Napoli’s Alex Meret. Samuele Ricci and Riccardo Orsolini are the other two players who failed to make the cut from the provisional squad. While Orsolini started the last game against Turkey, his performance was not enough to earn a spot in the final squad.
Riccardo Calafiori, who made his international debut as a late substitute in the game against Turkey, has been included in the squad. Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who recently returned from a ban for betting violations, also finds a place in the team after making an appearance against Turkey. Italy still has one warm-up game against Bosnia before heading to Germany to defend their title in a challenging Group B, where they will face Spain, Croatia, and Albania.
The finalized Italy squad for Euro 2024 includes:
– Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur)
– Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma)
– Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Fagioli (Juventus), Michael Folorunsho (Hellas Verona), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)
– Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
Italy’s final squad for Euro 2024 under the guidance of Luciano Spalletti includes a mix of experienced players and promising talents, as they prepare to defend their title against tough opposition in the European Championship.