Italy squad assembled: Calling up young players is not just for fun

As promised, Italy's caretaker manager Silvio Baldini selected a 100% twenty-something squad—captain Gianluigi Donnarumma being the sole exception—for the two friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.

A few weeks ago, Baldini—who was promoted from the Italy U21 side to temporarily take charge of the senior team until a new head coach is appointed—stated that he would call up U21 players for this friendly window. Baldini declared: "I need to show people who these boys are. They deserve to represent the Azzurri jersey, not always be left out." This statement drew opposition from Greece, who had no intention of playing a friendly against what was essentially a U21 team, but it received widespread support within Italian football circles. On one hand, fans were deeply disappointed by the failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup; on the other, they wanted to see new faces to build hope for the future.

Baldini followed through on his words, unveiling a squad list that might shock many. Apart from captain Donnarumma, who remains necessary as a spiritual leader, the other 22 players were all born between 2004 and 2008, with an average age just slightly over 20. The youngest are defenders Luca Reggiani and Honest Ahanor, along with forwards Francesco Camarda and Samuele Inacio—all born between February and April 2008. Ahanor has played 28 Serie A matches for Genoa and Atalanta; Camarda and Inacio have scored a combined 52 goals at various Italy youth levels. Inacio had not even made an appearance for the U21 team before this call-up.

Among the 22 young faces, only three have previously been capped for the senior Italy team: Marco Palestra (2 appearances), Nicolo Pisilli (2 appearances), and Francesco Pio Esposito (7 appearances). Notably, three players are currently at Borussia Dortmund—one of Europe's top youth nurseries—namely defenders Filippo Mane, Reggiani, and forward Inacio. Most of the list consists of little-known names, but there are also some familiar faces from Serie A, such as Palestra (46 Serie A matches), Davide Bartesaghi (44), Pisilli (52), Pietro Comuzzo (64), Esposito (35), and Cher Ndour (42).

The Calcio public generally views this call-up and these friendlies as an opportunity for Italian football to "de-stress" after heavy disappointments. However, they do not believe Baldini is bringing young players just for fun. On the contrary, this is an ideal chance for Italy to gradually break away from the mindset of clinging to veterans who have lost their spark, paving the way for more passionate and hungry hearts. Baldini's list is not merely about filling gaps while waiting for a new project; it represents the first building blocks to create a bridge toward the future, with the mandatory goal of securing a spot at the 2030 World Cup.