Picture Credit: Football Italia
Roberto Mancini has included Sassuolo forward Giacomo Raspadori in Italy's final 26-man squad for Euro 2020. Raspadori is a surprise selection considering he is yet to make his debut for the national team. He has only played 39 games in Serie A. The 21-year-old did make 27 league appearances in the 2020-21 campaign but only 13 of those were starts. He managed to score six goals as Sassuolo finished eighth.
All of his goals came since the turn of the year, though, including finding the net against Milan in April and then also Juventus the following month. He was part of Italy’s squad that was knocked out of the European Under-21 Championship on Monday, losing 5-3 after extra time against Portugal in an eventful quarter-final tie.
Politano and Mancini miss out
As well as Raspadori, Mancini also found a spot for Atalanta defender Rafael Toloi, though his club colleague Matteo Pessina failed to make the final cut. There is no place for Matteo Politano either, while Roma defender Gianluca Mancini misses out.
Italy face the Czech Republic on Friday in their final friendly before the tournament. The Azzurri will then go up against Turkey in their opening game on June 16. Switzerland will be their next opponents four days later. They round out the group stage by taking on Wales on June 20. All of Italy's group fixture will take place in Rome.
Italy squad for Euro 2020:
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino); Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta); Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris); Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)