The motto of the Italy Under 21 team prior to their debut game against Denmark is "redemption". Their elimination in the Czech Republic two years ago left a wound that still has not healed even though they directly qualified for the tournament in Poland.
At the press conference, Italy U21's captain and their manager Di Biagio had a unified message: "We want redemption. The last tournament was a massive delusion. Benassi added that "in the last edition, we were eliminated by the first game." Di Biagio commented that "the approach that we took two years ago was far from perfect, we concede a goal from the first shot." The format in this year's tournament is even harsher: only the three group winners and the best second place finisher will qualify for the next round.
Di Biagio refused to comment on the transfer market, especially about Donnarumma's future: "We are concentrated on the game. I looked to protect Donnarumma from the transfer market chatter. For him, these rumors should serve as motivation." One thing is certain: the Azzurrini want redemption.
