While it remains to be seen whether Cristiano De Paoli will be included in the final 20-player Italy squad selected by head coach Massimiliano Favo for the U-17 European Championship in Albania, two other promising young talents from Udinese’s youth ranks are already confirmed to represent their national teams in the coming weeks.
Alex Ramku, captain of coach Alessandro Gridel’s under-17 side, will feature in the U-17 European Championship for host nation Albania. In the group stage, Albania will face Portugal, Germany and France, with their opening match scheduled for 19 May.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Blaj, a defender in coach Marco Mariotti’s Under 15 team, has once again been called up by Romania. After helping his side claim second place at the Torneo delle Nazioni, Blaj will now take part in the Vlatko Markovic Tournament in Croatia. Starting on 14 May, Romania will face their counterparts from France, Switzerland and Croatia, with a fourth opponent to be determined for their final fixture.