Bernardeschi wears 10 for Italy

By Football Italia staff

Federico Bernardeschi has been handed the Number 10 jersey for Italy’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Finland this evening.

It kicks off at 19.45 GMT and is the opener in Group J, which also includes Armenia, Bosnia and Liechtenstein.

“The Number 10 jersey is a special one for Italy and it can weigh heavily on some shoulders,” Coach Roberto Mancini said in his Press conference yesterday.

“I’ll leave it up to the players who decide who is ready to wear it.”

The squad seems to have appointed Juventus man Bernardeschi, with Ciro Immobile wearing 17 and Fabio Quagliarella 21.

It is Leonardo Pavoletti who is given the Number 9 and Moise Kean, set for his first senior Italy start, has 14.

Mattia Perin misses out with an injury, while Armando Izzo, Bryan Cristante and Kevin Lasagna are sent to the stands.

Italy squad for Finland: 1 Salvatore Sirigu, 12 Alessio Cragno, 20 Gianluigi Donnarumma; 2 Cristiano Piccini, 3 Giorgio Chiellini, 4 Cristiano Biraghi, 5 Gianluca Mancini, 13 Alessio Romagnoli, 19 Leonardo Bonucci; 6 Marco Verratti, 7 Leonardo Spinazzola, 8 Jorginho, 10 Federico Bernardeschi, 11 Vincenzo Grifo, 15 Stefano Sensi, 16 Matteo Politano, 18 Nicolò Barella, 23 Nicolò Zaniolo; 9 Leonardo Pavoletti, 14 Moise Kean, 17 Ciro Immobile, 21 Fabio Quagliarella, 22 Stephan El Shaarawy

Finland squad for Italy: 1 Lukas Hradecky, 12 Jesse Joronen, 23 Anssi Jaakkola; 2 Paulus Arajuuri, 3 Albin Granlund, 5 Sauli Vaisanen, 16 Juha Pirinen, 17 Leo Vaisanen, 18 Mikko Sumusalo, 19 Thomas Lam; 4 Joona Toivio, 6 Glen Kamara, 7 Robert Taylor, 8 Robin Lod, 9 Fredrik Jensen, 11 Rasmus Schuller, 14 Tim Sparv, 15 Joni Kauko, 20 Petteri Forsell, 20 Lasse Karjalainen, 21 Kasper Hamalainen; 10 Teemu Pukki, 13 Pyry Soiri, 20 Rasmus Karjalainen, 22 Lassi Lappalainen

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