Italy Under 21 will have to contend with Slovenia, Spain and the Czech Republic in the final phase of the 2021 European Championship, in Hungary and Slovenia.
This is the result of the tournament draw which for the first time will see the participation of 16 teams: the azzurrini will be part of group B.
The European, co-organized by Hungary and Slovenia, has a unique format and calendar, with phase a group and knockout matches played at different times.
The group stage will be played from 24 to 31 March 2021 while the eight-team knockout phase with the first and second teams will be played from 31 May to 6 June 2021.
"It is a very demanding group like all the groups at this point in the competition - said the Italy Under 21 coach, Paolo Nicolato - With the teams that have won their group and the host country: difficult to make predictions at this moment. , from now to March we need to understand the teams with which formations they will arrive. We hope to get there in the best possible way and make the most of the experience of these very difficult months. On paper, Spain is the first candidate to win the European Championship, after that there is Slovenia which is the host country, but from the point of view of tradition it is not like Spain, but they play at home. We must be very careful - concludes Nicolato - the Czech Republic always produces great players. We must be cautious and understand how it will arrive in March ".