Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Squad

Defending champions Italy are gearing up for Euro 2024 after a whirlwind year where they managed to snatch the qualification from Ukraine. The Italy Euro 2024 squad is a mix of experienced veterans and untested young talents. While they may lack the world-class firepower they once had, the Azzurris still remain a power to be reckoned with. They boast one of the best managers of the tournament: Luciano Spalletti. Fresh off a historic title-winning season in Napoli, Spalletti would like to do the unthinkable again and lift the Euro 2024 trophy in Berlin.

Spalletti’s selection for the Italy squad for Euro 2024 has some interesting choices. Starting with some big calls, the manager has dropped some erstwhile big names like Ciro Immobile, Manuel Locatelli, and Marco Verratti.

Spalletti has chosen a defensive backline marshalled by the ever-reliable Inter duo Acerbi and Bastoni, with Gianluca Mancini and Giorgio Scalvini providing capable cover.

Meanwhile, Barella and Cristante are sure to start at the heart of midfield, while a resurgent Jorginho might pip Pellegrini in the starting XI. However, the Italian forward line is not the strongest on paper, with strikers Scamacca and Raspadori, or wingers Chiesa and the veteran El Shaarawy not known for their goal-scoring prowess.

Italy UEFA Euro 2024 Squad

This is a 30-man provisional squad, which will be reduced to 26 players in early June.

Position	Name	Age	Club
Goalkeeper	Gianluigi Donnarumma	25	PSG
	Alex Meret	27	Napoli
	Ivan Provedel	30	Lazio
	Guglielmo Vicario	27	Tottenham
Defenders	Francesco Acerbi	36	Inter Milan
	Alessandro Bastoni	25	Inter Milan
	Raoul Bellanova	24	Torino
	Alessandro Buongiorno	24	Torino
	Riccardo Calafiori	21	Bologna
	Andrea Cambiaso	23	Juventus
	Matteo Darmian	34	Inter Milan
	Giovanni Di Lorenzo	30	Napoli
	Federico Dimarco	26	Inter Milan
	Gianluca Mancini	27	Roma
	Giorgio Scalvini	20	Atalanta
Midfielders	Nicolo Barella	27	Inter Milan
	Bryan Cristante	29	Roma
	Nicolo Fagioli	23	Juventus
	Michael Folorunsho	26	Verona
	Davide Frattesi	24	Inter Milan
	Jorginho	32	Arsenal
	Lorenzo Pellegrini	27	Roma
	Samuele Ricci	22	Torino
Forwards	Federico Chiesa	26	Juventus
	Stephan El Shaarawy	31	Roma
	Riccardo Orsolini	27	Bologna
	Giacomo Raspadori	24	Napoli
	Mateo Retegui	24	Genoa
	Gianluca Scamacca	25	Atalanta
	Mattia Zaccagni	28	Lazio

Italy Euro 2024 Key Players and Profiles

Star Players

Gianluigi Donnarumma

While it seems like Donnarumma replaced the legendary Buffon as Italy’s number-one decades ago, the PSG shot-stopper is still only 25 years of age.

The 61-capped goalkeeper, who was the hero in the Euro 2020 final victory against England, would again like to captain his nation to Euro 2024 victory with his magnificent shot-stopping and towering presence in goal.

Federico Chiesa

Despite a largely quiet 2023/24 season (only eight goals in Serie A), Chiesa has found form after March at the tail-end of the season. Forming a strong partnership with Dusan Vlahovic, the forward has reminded the fans why he was so well-regarded during his time in Fiorentina before the wrecking knee injury two years ago.

Chiesa, who at his best is an unstoppable force, would like to carry on his good form to the continental stage, and Spalletti would keep his fingers crossed.

Nicolo Barella

A midfield dynamo for Inter, the 27-year-old is the beating heart of Italy’s midfield who will be in charge of creating chances as well as breaking up the opponent’s play.

He won Serie A’s Best Midfielder award last season, and while his form has hit a bit of a snag this term, with reduced goal contributions despite a title-winning season, Barella would hope to be back at his best in the next months.

Italy Euro 2024 Young Talents

Giorgio Scalvini

20-year-old Giorgio Scalvini is pulling in the eyes of European giants like Manchester United and Juventus after a fantastic 2023/24 Serie A season where he has been ever-present for Atalanta’s defence.

His disciplined (only three yellow cards in this league season) style of defensive play is perfect for Spalletti’s high-flying tactical system, and he would hope to get an ample amount of time on the field in Euro 2024.

Riccardo Calafiori

One of the biggest gainers of Thiago Motta’s project, 22-year-old Riccardo Calafiori has taken the Serie A by storm after emerging as a standout performer for Bologna.

Joining from Swiss side FC Basel for a meagre amount of 4 million euros (in what can be termed the steal of the season), Calafiori has formed a strong partnership with both Sam Beukema and Jhon Lucumi in the centre of defence and emerged as a capable heir for Italy’s future backlines.

Samuele Ricci

Another player who has seen their stars rise after this season, 22-year-old Samuele Ricci has grown into a star in Torino’s midfield after manager Ivan Juric has put him in a more advanced role this season.

Ricci is known for his calm and composed play in the middle of the park, and may well play an important role should they progress deep into the tournament.

Italy Euro 2024 Team Strategy and Tactics

Italy fans were still reeling from the shock departure of Roberto Mancini, who took them to European supremacy in 2020 when Serie A winner Luciano Spalletti was selected as the national team manager. Since taking over, Spalletti has impressed Italian fans with his trademark free-flowing football in a 4-3-3 formation.

Continuing the Italian tradition of basing the team on a solid defensive shape, Spalletti has often opted for a 5-3-2 defensive formation when the ball is with the opponents (as was the case in the 3-1 defeat against England in October) but switched to a fluid 4-3-3 shape when on the ball. Di Lorenzo and Darmian are fantastic in their overlapping runs forward, which are a key part of Spalletti’s play.

Spaletti’s attractive and ‘fluid’ Italy Euro playing style has excited the fans, who would be hoping for a successful tournament. Fluid seems to be his game, as ahead of friendly matches against Venezuela and Ecuador in March, Spalletti said, “Tactics are fluid, liquid, it is no longer such a rigid form.”

Italy XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Di Lorenzo, Barella, Cristante, Frattesi, Chiesa, Raspadori, Scamacca

Italy Euro Previous Performances

The last few years have been a rollercoaster ride for the Italy national team, with the high of the Euro 2020 victory followed by the crushing blow of missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 60 years.

After the Euro 2020 victory in the final match against England, Italy’s national team suffered a major loss in the form that led to the shame of missing out on the World Cup. Since then, amid a tussle between Mancini and the Italian board that later led to his departure, the national team has struggled to etch out victories even against weaker teams like Austria (2-0 defeat in friendly) and North Macedonia (1-1 draw in Euro qualifiers). They have also come up short against the ‘big’ teams, losing against Germany, England, and Spain in the last two years.

However, Spalletti’s reign has followed an uptick in form (despite the 3-1 loss against England), and Italy have more than enough to look forward to in the upcoming tournament.

Italy Euro 2024 Match Schedule and Fixtures

Italy have been placed in the so-called ‘group of death’ with Spain, Croatia, and Albania. Italy will kick off their UEFA Euro 2024 tournament against Albania on 15th June. They will follow that with two crunch games against Spain (20th June) and Croatia (24 June), concluding the group stage.

Italy Euro Historical Squads

Italian fans don’t need to look too back for their last taste of European victory, with the Azzuris winning the Euro championship in 2020 under the guidance of Roberto Mancini. Much like the Euro 2024 Italy squad, the team in 2020 was also a mixture of experienced veterans and up-and-coming stars.

The old guard of Bonucci and Chiellini marshalled the centre of defence with Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Emerson on each side, while the then-youngster Barella and Champions League winner Jorginho dominated the midfield, alongside long-term servant Marco Verratti. The frontline was led by the Golden Shoe winner Ciro Immobile, along with support from Fede Chiesa and and Lorenzo Insigne. However, the star of the show was goalkeeper Donnarumma, who fulfilled his role as the last line of defence quite capably, winning the Player of the Tournament award in the process.