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4 unusual facts about Italy national under-20 football team


Chris Smalling

Smalling made his debut for the England Under–20 team 31 March 2009, playing 45 minutes in a 2-0 win against Italy at Loftus Road.

Fran Mérida

In the next group game he continued his fine form and netted twice in a 2–0 win over Nigeria; after resting in the third group game against Venezuela (3–0) he played 76 minutes in the last-16 tie against Italy, which finished with a 1–3 loss.

Jack Colback

Colback received one cap for the England under-20 team where he played in a 2-0 win against Italy.

Jayson Leutwiler

He gave his debut on 10 September 2008 in the 5-2 home win against Italy U-20 in the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Como.


Aaron Mooy

Mooy played at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup and played in two group stage games before Australia were eliminated, scoring in his second game against Brazil.

Alexandre Henrique Gonçalves Freitas

He played all the games but one in Colombia en route to the second place, scoring in the final against Brazil (2–3 loss).

Alfred Gomis

Alfred was called up by Luigi Di Biagio for the Italian U-20 team in 2013, but failed to make an appearance for the team.

Baddrol Bakhtiar

Baddrol, alongside his teammates Abdul Hadi Abdul Hamid, Mohd Sabre Mat Abu and Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Muhammad Shafiq Jamal and Mohd Bunyamin Umar earned their first call-up in 2005 to the Malaysia U-20.

Bryan Carrasco

In January 2011, he was nominated by Cesar Vaccia for play the 2011 South American Youth Championship in Peru with the Chilean national youth team.

Camilo Mayada

Camilo Sebastián Mayada Mesa (born 8 January 1991) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Danubio and the Uruguay U20 national team.

Carlos Luque

Carlos was called for the Argentina U-20 by current coach Walter Perazzo and is part of the current squad in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Cho Dong-Hyun

He was manager of South Korea U-20 in 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and then In 2010, he was appointed manager of Korean Police FC.

Croatia national under-20 football team

That was second appearance from Croatian football team on FIFA competition, after A-team appeared on FIFA World Cup in France in 1998.

Daniel Vasilevski

By this time, Vasilevski had also represented Australia U-20 11 times and played in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Davide Santon

On 31 March 2009, he made his debut for the Italy U-21 squad in a friendly against the Netherlands, played at Parkstad Limburg Stadion, Kerkrade and ended in a 1–1 draw.

Derlis González

Derlis Alberto González Galeano (born 20 March 1994 in Mariano Roque Alonso, Paraguay) is a Paraguayan footballer currently playing for Olimpia on loan from Benfica and the Paraguay national under-20 football team.

Diego Colotto

Colotto was part of the Argentine under-20 team that competed at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship on home soil.

Diego Fabbrini

He made his debut with the Italy U-21 on 3 September 2010 in a qualification match against Bosnia Herzegovina played in Sarajevo.

Fabricio Coloccini

Coloccini was part of the Argentina Under-20 that won the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, as well as the gold medal winning Argentina team at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

François Zahoui

François Zahoui (born 21 August 1962 in Treichville) is a former footballer from Côte d'Ivoire, currently serving as the coach of the Côte d'Ivoire national junior team.

Freddie Ladapo

In June 2011, Ladapo was invited to join a provisional training camp for the Nigeria under-20 team held at Bisham Abbey in preparation for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Gabriele Angella

He made his Italy U-21 debut on 4 September 2009 as starter, in a match lost 1–2 against Wales in Swansea.

Gonzalo Bueno

Gonzalo Diego Bueno Bingola (born 16 January 1993) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Russian club Kuban and the Uruguay U20 national team.

Gustavo Oberman

He has also played with the Argentina Under-20 team, winning the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Hakeem Shaker

in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup Hakeem Shaker lead Iraq to reach the 4th place for the first time in Iraq history after winning Iraq's group after the win over Chile 2-1, Egypt 2-1, and a draw with England 2-2.

Juan Neira

In January 2009, Neira was selected to join the Argentina under-20 squad for the 2009 South American Youth Championship held in Venezuela.

Kim Young-Gwon

Kim played for South Korea national under-20 football team, South Korea Universiade team and South Korea national futsal team when he studied at Jeonju University.

Lebanon national under-20 football team

The U20 team has produced notable players such as Roda Antar and Youssef Mohamad.

Luiz Carlos Nascimento Júnior

Unfortunately Brazil were eliminated in the quarter final, where Luizão managed to receive his only yellow card of the tournament, in the 116th minute.

Marc Fachan

Fachan was first selected for France's U19 in December 2008, appearing on the 12th against Italy, at Rende.

Marco Aratore

He made his international U-20 debut as substitute on 6 September 2010 in the 2:3 home defeat in the Stadion Breite, Schaffhausen, against German U-20 team.

Mario Larenas

Mario Ignacio Larenas Díaz (born 27 June 1994) is a Chilean footballer that currently plays for Primera División club Unión Española and the Chilean national U20 team.

Maxwell Konadu

On 10 July 2012, Konadu was appointed as the manager of the Ghana national under-20 football team, succeeding Orlando Wellington and in January 2013, Konadu was appointed as the manager of the Ghana national under-23 football team.

Michael Olaitan

On June 4, 2013 Olaitan made his debut with the Nigerian U20 national team, against Brazil U20.

Mohd Sabre Mat Abu

Sabre was promoted to the senior after SUKMA 2006 where Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah scout his potential alongside his teammates Baddrol Bakhtiar, Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Muhammad Shafiq Jamal, Mohd Bunyamin Umar and Abdul Hadi Abdul Hamid from national Malaysia U-20.

Mostafa Afroto

He currently plays for Misr El-Makasa, as well as the Egyptian U-23 national team.

Ndubuisi Okosieme

Okosieme was part of the Nigeria squad at the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship, playing the last seven minutes of a 2–0 group stage win over Canada.

Nicola Amoruso

He was the unused member of the Italy Olympic team that won the 1997 Mediterranean Games.

Nicolás Prieto

Nicolás Santiago Prieto Larrea (born 5 September 1992) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Nacional and the Uruguay U20 national team.

Nissa F.C. A.S.D.

This venue also hosted an Italy national under-21 football team match in 1994, which ended in a 2–1 win for the azzurrini against Croatia national under-21 football team, but is best remembered for seeing the Italian team play with Nissa's red-coloured home shirts due to both teams having very similar jersey colours and lacking the corresponding reserve kits.

Oakgrove School

Max Crocombe, professional footballer who is a goalkeeper for Oxford United and the New Zealand under-20 national team.

Robert Egbeta

Egbeta played in the squad that was called for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where Nigeria was defeated by Chile in the quarter-final.

Rui Jorge

Rui Jorge played for the Portuguese U-21 side which lost the 1994 European Championship final to Italy (1–2) and the Olympic team who finished fourth at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Ryu Seung-Woo

On 27 June 2013, Ryu was injured and substituted during South Korea's final game of the group stage against Nigeria, forcing him to miss out their Round of 16 match against Colombia, and subsequently, their Quarter-final loss against Iraq.

Sebastian Lletget

Lletget has played for the United States at under 17, under 20 and under 23 levels.

Tony Readings

Readings has coached the New Zealand women's national under-20 football team and is the coach of the New Zealand women's football team coaching the side in the 2012 London Olympics.


see also