The ‘Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park’ of Bagno a Ripoli (Florence) will host on Tuesday 19 November – with kick-off at 2pm and live on RaiSport – the Elite League challenge between National Under 20 team and the Romania. It will be the second time that a national team will play a match inside the new Fiorentina sports centre: the only precedent is the 0-0 draw between the women’s national team and Northern Ireland on 23 February.
It will be the seventh match at Under 20 level between Italy and Romania: the last match was on 21 March, with the Azzurri who with a 0-0 draw in Targoviste gained the point needed to secure victory in the Elite League. The result is four victories for Italy, a draw and a Romanian success.
Before Italy-Romania, the National Under 20 team – which for the two matches in November will see the debut of Leonardo Bonucci in the role of assistant to Bernardo Corradi – will play on Friday 15th at 4pm in Białystok against Poland.
THE SITUATION Those in November will be the fifth and sixth matches of the Elite League for Italy, which in September won at home to Czechia and lost in Rieti against Germany, while in October there was a defeat against England in Frosinone and a tie in Portugal.
Ranking (matches played in brackets): England (4) 10, Germany (3) 9, Portugal (3) 7, Italy (4) 4, Poland (3) and Romania (3), Turkey (4) 2, Republic Czech (4) 1
ITALY’S NEXT COMMITMENTS
Friday 15 November: Poland-ITALY (4pm, Białystok)
Tuesday 19 November: ITALY-Romania (2pm, Bagno a Ripoli, live RaiSport)
Thursday 20 March: Türkiye-ITALY