Under-21: leaders Spain await tomorrow. Cecchetti: “Great faith in my boys”

A smooth flight of around two hours and forty minutes preceded landing in La Coruña, an intermediate stop on a journey that this morning brought the Under-21 National Team to Lugo, a city of Roman origin in the autonomous community of Galicia. The Ángel Carro Stadium (in Galician: Estadio Anxo Carro), home of Deportivo Lugo, will tomorrow evening stage the clash between the Little Biancazzurri and Spain, the only team with a 100% record in Group A thanks to nine points from three matches. It will be the fifth meeting between these two sides after the double-headers in 2004-2005 (when San Marino scored through Matteo Valli) and 2015-2016. For the occasion head coach Matteo Cecchetti can again call on Pietro Amici (also because Fabio Borasco is suspended). The goalkeeper is not, however, the only player joining from the senior National Team. Fausto Salicioni will also be involved tomorrow: this is his first call-up to the Under-21 National Team.

“I see the presence of Pietro and Fausto as extremely valuable – begins the Biancazzurri head coach – They are two lads who over the last year and a half have had first-hand experience of the senior National Team and, more generally, of a very high level of football. I expect them to support the other boys in the squad, also because what I have asked of the group, for tomorrow’s match and also for the one against Cyprus, is to achieve a certain stability within the match itself, as well as from one match to the next. Lately we have been on a sort of emotional roller-coaster and that is something we absolutely have to improve. I expect them to take a step forward in terms of balance and maturity.”

The degree of technical difficulty inherent in a match like the one against La Roja can be illustrated by the numbers. What the statistics do not convey, however, is the thrill of sharing the pitch with present and future stars, many of whom are already on show in Serie A, such as Como players Alex Valle, Jesus Rodriguez, Jacobo Ramon, Udinese’s Iker Bravo or former Milan man Alex Jimenez, now at Bournemouth. Not to mention those whose registration is owned by powerhouses such as Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal. “Talking about Spain as an opponent is almost superfluous, in my view – Cecchetti continues – The technical level, the quality, the talent of La Furia Roja need no introduction. But I am firmly convinced that within tomorrow’s game we will be able to play our own match, and also make our presence felt. I have great faith in this group and I am convinced they can do well. I expect a lot from them, because I know they have a lot to give.”

Kick-off is at 20:45. These are the players called up by Matteo Cecchetti: