Nicolò Bertola was just a young ball boy at the Stadio Picco in La Spezia. Today, as a player who came up through the club’s youth system, things have become exciting. He received his first call-up to the Under-21 National Team for the Maurice Revello Tournament, taking on an increasingly prominent role in Serie B, and now he’s also confirmed in the squad that will fight for qualification to the European Championship against Ireland on Tuesday in Trieste. “It’s a very important match, and the team is aware of that”, explains the defender. “We will prepare ourselves as best we can”.
Qualification could have been secured yesterday, but the draw against Norway has given Ireland the chance to go all out at the Nereo Rocco. The Azzurri group watched the match together, but they’ll have to wait until Tuesday to celebrate. However, the players are aware of the qualities of their opponents. “Ireland is a very physical team that plays with long balls; we need to focus on imposing our game, as the coach asks us to”.
It’s hard to believe that Bertola, who has already made his Serie A debut with Spezia and spent a season on loan at Montevarchi, could have imagined such a rise. “Personally, I’m very happy with how the season is going. I hope to remain part of the National Team, working every day to improve. I feel I’ve grown in confidence, thanks to the amount of playing time I’ve had and the trust of the coach. The Serie A experience with Spezia and the European Championship with Italy? These are obviously not trivial goals. I never expected to be part of the National Team, and I will do everything I can to be in the squad in June. With Spezia, the first objective is to secure safety, and then we’ll see what happens”.
Growing up idolising Alessandro Nesta, Bertola plays in a four-man defence under Nunziata, while D’Angelo opts for a three-man setup at Spezia. The statistic of 11 goals scored from 12 set pieces (two of which were netted by Nicolò against Pisa and Cesena) is remarkable. “We only work on set pieces the day before the match, but I believe they are incredibly important in today’s game. Scoring for the National Team? Who wouldn’t want that? I’d dedicate it to my family, my girlfriend, and everyone who has supported me along my journey”.
Bertola describes himself as “very genuine, generous, and quite likeable, hoping others see it the same way”. He praises the unity of the group, saying they’ve helped him integrate well. “We’re a great team”. With just one small yet significant step remaining, they are ready to cross the finish line”.
PLAYERS CALLED UP
Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Palermo), Jacopo Sassi (Modena), Gioele Zacchi (Latina);
Defenders: Nicolò Bertola (Spezia), Giovanni Bonfanti (Pisa), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Daniele Ghilardi (Hellas Verona), Marco Palestra (Atalanta), Lorenzo Pirola (Olympiacos), Nicolò Savona (Juventus), Riccardo Turicchia (Catanzaro), Mattia Zanotti (Lugano);
Midfielders: Tommaso Baldanzi (Roma), Alessandro Bianco (Monza), Edoardo Bove (Fiorentina), Cesare Casadei (Chelsea), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Jacopo Fazzini (Empoli), Cher Ndour (Besiktas), Matteo Prati (Cagliari);
Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino (Frosinone), Francesco Pio Esposito (Spezia), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds), Luca Koleosho (Burnley), Antonio Raimondo (Venezia)
UEFA EURO UNDER 21 2025 – GRUPPO A
Friday, 11 October
Türkiye 3-0 Latvia
Ireland 1-1 Norway
Tuesday, 15 October
18:30 CEST: ITALY vs. Ireland
18:30 CEST: Norway vs. Türkiye
18:30 CEST: San Marino vs. Latvia
Standings (9 games played each):
ITALY 21 points
Ireland 18
Norway 16
Türkiye 13
Latvia 8
San Marino 0
Schedule
Sunday, 13 October
10:30 CEST: Training (closed to media)
16:39 CEST: Train from Florence SMN to Trieste Centrale, followed by transfer to NH Trieste Hotel
Exclusive player interview for Domenica Sportiva (Rai)
Monday, 14 October
14:15 CEST: Press conference with Nunziata (Zoom and in-person)
18:30 CEST: Training at ‘Nereo Rocco’ stadium (media allowed for the first 15 minutes)
Tuesday, 15 October
18:30 CEST: ITALY vs. Ireland (at ‘Nereo Rocco’ stadium, Trieste, live on Rai 2)
Followed by a press conference and dissolution of the delegation.
