(Football news) This month, UEFA announced that the maximum number of players in each squad for the much-awaited event in Germany has been raised from 23 to 26. It also mandated that every squad have three goalkeepers or more.

Luciano Spalletti took over for Roberto Mancini, who chose to leave his position in August of last year to take a job in Saudi Arabia. Mancini was the one who guided Italy to victory at Euro 2020, when the Azzurri defeated England on penalties in the championship game at Wembley Stadium.

The 65-year-old, who has won five of his first eight matches in charge of the national team, will be tasked with cutting down his 30-man squad to at least 26 by June 7, one week before the tournament gets underway.

Let’s take a look at Italy’s preliminary squad for Euro 2024, who has been selected and who are the unfortunate players to miss out.

One of the standout names to make a return to Spalletti’s squad is Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who has only just made his comeback to competitive football following a seven-month ban for betting violations.

The 23-year-old was suspended in October last year by the Italian Football Federation after admitting to gambling on illegal platforms, and he was required to undergo treatment for a gambling addiction.

Fagioli made his long-awaited return to football when he came on as a second-half substitute in Juventus’ 3-3 draw at Bologna in Serie A on Monday, and although he has only played eight times this season and has just one senior international cap for Italy, Spalletti has decided to call-up the highly-rated midfielder for Euro 2024.

A total of three uncapped players have been included in the Azzurri’s 30-man squad, with centre-back Riccardo Calafiori receiving his first senior call-up after an impressive 2023-24 season for Bologna.

The 22-year-old, who was recently nominated for Serie A Defender of the Year, has been an integral figure in the Bologna side that currently sit third in Serie A and have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, who has been involved in several Italy squads over the last 12 months but is still waiting to earn his first cap, and Napoli-owned Hellas Verona loanee Michael Folorunsho are the two other uncapped players to make the cut.

Including those three uncapped players, Spalletti has named a total of 14 players in his preliminary squad who have made fewer than 10 international appearances for Italy, with eight of those earning no more than two caps including Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso as well as Torino duo Raoul Bellanova and Samuele Ricci.

There are only 10 players who remain from Italy squad that triumphed at the Euros three years ago, including Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper and Azzurri captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, Arsenal midfielder Jorginho and Inter Milan trio Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella.

Napoli trinity Alex Meret, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Giacomo Raspadori, Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante and Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa have also been picked for successive Euros.

Elsewhere, Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca – a newly-crowned Europa League winner – has returned following a strong end to the 2023-24 season since being dropped from the Italy squad in March; the former West Ham United man has contributed to 15 goals (11 goals, four assists) in his last 16 appearances for Atalanta in all competitions.

Manuel Locatelli was a key cog in the Italy machine that won Euro 2020, but the Juventus midfielder is one of the surprise omissions from Spalletti’s provisional squad for Euro 2024.

The 26-year-old, who has played 40 times for Juve in all competitions this season and has earned 28 international caps, has since posted a cryptic story on Instagram in response to being left out – a plain black image which may represent the midfielder’s mood according to Sky Sports Italy correspondent Paolo Aghemo.

Spalletti has decided to leave out a number of experienced players including Lazio talisman Ciro Immobile. The 34-year-old was once a regular with the Azzurri, but he has only played three times for the national team in the last three years, largely due to injury, and having only scored seven goals in 30 Serie A outings this season, he has failed to make the cut for Euro 2024.

Atalanta’s Davide Zappacosta, 31, Fiorentina’s Giacomo Bonaventura, 34, Napoli’s Matteo Politano, 30, and former PSG man Marco Verratti – 31 and now plying his trade with Qatari club Al-Arabi – have also been overlooked by Spalletti.

Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo, Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca and Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi were all called up to the Italy squad in March, but have now been left out for Euro 2024, as have Juventus’ Moise Kean and Federico Gatti, Monza’s Michele Di Gregorio, Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi and Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto.

Meanwhile Tottenham left-back Destiny Udogie is unavailable for selection after he recently underwent surgery to his left quadriceps, while Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali is still serving his 10-month betting ban and is not able to return to football until August 27.

What are Italy’s pre-tournament preparations?

Those that have been selected in Italy’s preliminary 30-man squad will meet up at the Federal Technical Centre in Coverciano on May 31 to begin their preparations for Euro 2024.

Before leaving for Germany on June 10, Italy are scheduled to play two warm-up friendlies against Turkey on June 4 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara and against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 9 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.

The Azzurri will then hold the last training sessions in Iserlohn before taking on Albania in their opening Group B fixture of Euro 2024 at Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion on June 15. Italy will conclude the group stage with games against Spain on June 20 and Croatia on June 24.

Italy’s preliminary 30-man squad for Euro 2024:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Inter Milan), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter Milan), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta BC)

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Fagioli (Juventus), Michael Folorunsho (Hellas Verona), Davide Frattesi (Inter Milan), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino)

Attackers: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta BC), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)

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