Carmine Nunziata prepares to lead his Italy U-21 squad into their European Championship opener against Romania on Wednesday evening at Malatinskiy stadium in Trnava. The match, scheduled for 22:00 local time, represents what the Italian coach describes as a "decisive" first step in Group A.
"I've participated in many tournaments, and in a group of 4 teams, the first match is extremely important," Nunziata explained during the pre-match press conference. "We're ready. We've had a ten-day training camp and worked very well."
Italy enters the tournament with a mixed preparation period. Many players in the squad have struggled for playing time at their clubs - a fact Nunziata highlighted as potentially problematic.
"At this level, you face footballers who play in the Champions League," the coach noted. "This year, too many of our players couldn't find a place in their clubs' starting lineups. In the end, that makes a big difference - playing means growing and gaining experience."
Tommaso Baldanzi, considered the star of this Italian team, dismissed concerns about fatigue, stating: "Tiredness takes a back seat. We all wanted to be here, we all gave everything to be here."
The Italians will have to adapt their strategy without Pio Esposito, their top scorer from the qualifying campaign who netted 6 goals. "He was our reference point as a central striker, so we'll need to do different things with different players," Nunziata admitted.
On the Romanian side, Daniel Pancu approaches the match with a clear understanding of the challenge ahead. The Romanian coach appeared motivated by a perceived slight when Nunziata failed to recall his name during media interactions.
"To earn respect and make them remember your name, you need to beat them," Pancu responded when informed of the oversight.
Romania's hopes rest significantly on forward Louis Munteanu, who brings extra motivation after "Fiorentina" sold him to "Cluj" - a move he's eager to prove was a mistake.
The Romanians acknowledge they can't match Italy's technical style. "We can't play Italian football; they've played it since childhood," Pancu conceded, while noting that in the "acyclic sport" of football, "being the favorite on paper matters less."
Despite facing underdog status, Romania arrives at the tournament with determination. "We deserve to be here," Pancu emphasized, "and all we can do is be proud of our performance on the field, whether we finish this tournament in a week or on the 28th."
Both Coppola and Casadei have joined the Italian camp late after duties with the senior national team, arriving Wednesday without participating in the final training session but remaining available for selection.
Interestingly, this U-21 Italian side features 12 players from the U-20 World Cup team that Nunziata led two years ago, plus four who won the U-19 European Championship during the same period.
Can Romania pull off an upset against the technically superior but potentially fatigued Italians? The answer awaits when the referee blows the opening whistle at 22:00.
