Carmine Nunziata will lead Italy's U-21 squad into their Euro 2025 opening match against Romania on Wednesday evening, describing the encounter as "decisive" for their tournament prospects. The game kicks off at 22:00 at the "Malatinskiy" stadium in Trnava, Slovakia.
"I've participated in many tournaments, and in a group of 4 teams, the first match is extremely important. We're ready," – Nunziata stated during the pre-match press conference alongside team star Tommaso Baldanzi.
The Italian squad completed a ten-day training camp ahead of the tournament, though their preparations have been complicated by many players' lack of regular playing time at club level. Nunziata highlighted this issue as a potential concern.
"At this level, you face footballers who play in the Champions League. This year, too many of our guys couldn't find places in their clubs' starting lineups. In the end, it makes a big difference – playing means growing and gaining experience," – explained the Italian coach.
Italy enters the tournament with a mixed recent record in U-21 competitions, having failed to advance from the group stage in two of the last three tournaments. They'll be without Pio Esposito, their top scorer during qualification with 6 goals.
Daniel Pancu, Romania's head coach, approaches the match with realistic expectations but isn't intimidated by Italy's reputation. Interestingly, Nunziata caused a minor stir during preparations by not remembering Pancu's name when asked about his counterpart. The Romanian coach responded pointedly: "To earn respect and make them remember your name, you need to beat them."
Romania will look to striker Louis Munteanu as their primary attacking threat. The forward brings extra motivation after being sold by "Fiorentina" to "Cluj" – "I'll show them they made a mistake," he reportedly said.
Both Coppola and Casadei, who were with Italy's senior national team until Monday, joined the U-21 squad in Trnava on Wednesday. They missed the final training session but will be available for selection.
Can Romania cause an upset against the favored Italians? With motivated players like Munteanu and Italy's concerns about match fitness, this opening Group A clash might be closer than many expect.
