Baldini calls fresh new Italy squad with 3 Borussia Dortmund talents

Interim Italy coach Silvio Baldini has called up a practically new squad for friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece, including Samuele Inacio and Filippo Mane of Borussia Dortmund.

The Azzurri organised the matches after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, losing the play-offs on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Gennaro Gattuso resigned and with no new coach in place yet, Italy brought in Under-21 coach Baldini for these two friendly fixtures.

They are on June 3 in Luxembourg and June 7 in Crete.

Baldini said there was no point calling in players from the usual Azzurri squad, so he would only focus on younger figures, many of them getting their first opportunity at senior level.

The exception is captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, as the Manchester City goalkeeper is seen as the ‘guide’ to the others, as the squad has an average age of 20 years and six months.

Others who already featured for the Nazionale are Pietro Comuzzo, Marco Palestra, Niccolò Pisilli and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Notable new faces include Davide Bartesaghi from Milan, Atalanta’s Honest Ahanor and Francesco Camarda.

Also worth pointing out is just how many play abroad, with Fabio Chiarodia at Borussia Monchengladbach, Filippo Mane, Luca Reggiani and Samuele Inacio all at Borussia Dortmund, and Luca Koleosho for Paris FC.

Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Avellino), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone);

Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Atalanta), Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia Monchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Costantino Favasuli (Catanzaro), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Luca Reggiani (Borussia Dortmund);

Midfielders: Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Juventus), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Lorenzo Venturino (Roma);

Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Lecce), Luigi Cherubini (Sampdoria), Jeff Ekhator (Genoa), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC).