After the postponement for the health emergency, the children officially leave one year later European football championships. The continental event will be inaugurated the Italy of Roberto Mancini which will debut at the Olympic stadium in Rome against Turkey. A great opportunity for the national team to immediately set the record straight in their group. Italy was included in Group A, which also includes Turkey, Switzerland and Wales. The two venues for the matches in this group are Rome (where they will all take place the three matches of Italy) and Baku, Azerbaijan.
Turkey-Italy, where to see the match and the return of the fans
At kickoff of Turkey-Italy, the enthusiasm around the team is truly remarkable. The team is back from eight consecutive victories and has won ten out of thirteen games overall. Important numbers for a national team that returns to play a competition after 5 years when Italy, led by Antonio Conte, reaches the quarter-finals of the European Championships. The opening match will also mark the return of the fans to the Olimpico with a capacity reduced to 25% of the total (i.e. around 16.000 spectators). Kick-off at 21.00. The game will be broadcast in the clear on Rai1, but will also be visible on Sky channels (Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport Football and Sky Sport HD). Furthermore, Turkey Italy can be followed in streaming for free on RaiPlay, and for Sky subscribers also on the SkyGo platform.
The words of coach Roberto Mancini
The eve of the debut was ruined by the injuries of Sensi and Pellegrini who abandoned the retirement of the national team. In their place the coach Mancini called up Pessina from Atalanta and Castrovilli from Fiorentina. Regarding tonight's match against Turkey, the coach said: "It will be a difficult match, there will be more pressure because it will be the opening match of the tournament, we must try to have fun and entertain, with great respect for Turkey which is an excellent team full of talented players. The full Olimpico would have given us an extra boost, but with sixteen thousand spectators it is already a first step".
However, there is a lot of confidence in the group built in the last three years and Roberto Mancini sets no limits: "We have had fun over the years and we want to continue having fun: let's get to the Wembley final, and then it shows".
The probable formations of Turkey-Italy
These are the probable formations of the inaugural match of the European 2021:
TURKEY (4-1-4-1): Cakir; Celik, Soyuncu, Demiral, Meras; Yokuslu; Karaman, Yazici, Tufan, Calhanoglu; Yilmaz. Coach: Gunes
ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Florenzi, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli; Berardi, Immobile, Insigne. Mancini coach
The winner of Group A will advance to the eighth-final in London against the runner-up in Group C (Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia). In case of second place, Italy will face second in Group B (Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia). This is the calendar of Italy:
11 June 2021, Rome (21.00): TURKEY - ITALY
16 June 2021, Rome (21.00): ITALY - SWITZERLAND
20 June 2021, Rome (18.00): ITALY - WALES
