Italy is facing a very difficult group to traverse for this edition of the UEFA U-21.
However, Luigi Di Biagio’s side has no shortage of talent, particularly in defense but also in attack. Daniele Rugani and Alessio Romagnoli are arguably head and shoulders above every other Italian defender at their age. Both players found regular playing time this season for Empoli and Sampdoria respectively. But one player who cannot be overlooked is Stefano Sturaro who played this season for Genoa then transferred over to Juventus in January.
In fact, quite a handful of players played regularly in Serie A this season, giving tactician Di Biagio a little more of an edge to play with, as they head into the group facing England, Sweden and Portugal.
Daniele Rugani #5
| Date of birth: | Jul 29, 1994 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Sesto di Moriano  |
| Age: | 20 |
| Height: | 1,90 m |
| Nationality: | Italy |
| Position: | Defence – Centre Back |
| Foot: | right |
| Player’s agent: | Davide Torchia |
| Current club: |  FC Empoli |
| In the team since: | Feb 2, 2015 |
| Contract until: | 30.06.2015 |
| on loan from: | Juventus FC |
| Contract there until: | 30.06.2019 |
Rugani played every minute of every game for Empoli, what’s even more impressive is that he never was booked during the over 3000 minutes of play. Adding to his impressive season, he was even selected to the senior national team, but failed to make an appearance. The 20 year old was sent down to the U-21 to receive additional playing time in the Azzurri ranks.
Alessio Romagnoli #6
| Date of birth: | Jan 12, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Anzio |
| Age: | 20 |
| Height: | 1,88 m |
| Nationality: | Italy |
| Position: | Defence – Centre Back |
| Foot: | left |
| Player’s agent: | GoalKick Sportmanagement |
| Current club: |  UC Sampdoria |
| In the team since: | Sep 1, 2014 |
| Contract until: | 30.06.2015 |
| Contract option: | buying option |
| on loan from: | AS Roma |
| Contract there until: | 30.06.2018 |
If anything throughout the course of Italian football sticks out, it is that every winning team has a had a world-class center back pairing. For Di Biagio, Romagnoli represents the other half of the couplet with Rugani. Played in over 30 games for Sampdoria this season, Romagnoli received a wealth of experience and helped his team qualify for the UEFA Europa League next season. He’s only played three matches with the U-21 side, but should be a starter for the group stage and beyond.
Stefano Sturaro #8
| Date of birth: | Mar 9, 1993 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Sanremo |
| Age: | 22 |
| Height: | 1,82 m |
| Nationality: | Italy |
| Position: | Midfield – Central Midfield |
| Foot: | right |
| Player’s agent: | BBC Management GmbH |
| Current club: |  Juventus FC |
| In the team since: | Jul 1, 2014 |
| Contract until: | 30.06.2019 |
| outfitter: | Puma |
Quite a season for the Sanremo native. Started his season off at Genoa then joined Juventus resolving his co-ownership status. Sturaro started and played very well against Real Madrid in the Semi-finals of the Champions League this past season, as well as making 15 Serie A appearances in Juve’s crowded midfield. The “new Gattuso” as he has been hailed, is not a pushover in a World Class midfield. The destroyer will help keep order in the Azzurrini’s midfield in Prague and you shouldn’t be surprised if he adds to the scoresheet as well.
Data retrieved from TransferMarkt
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