Spalletti sends message with Fagioli inclusion in Italy squad | OneFootball

Luciano Spalletti sent a message with his 30-man preliminary Italy squad, including Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli despite his lengthy ban.

The Azzurri coach confirmed his squad ahead of the upcoming European Championship, calling up 30 players to start preparations for the tournament in Germany. The national team will play out two friendlies before heading to Germany, facing Turkey on June 4th and Bosnia on June 9th.

The 30-man preliminary Italy squad sparked countless discussions amongst fans, with the exclusions of various players like Manuel Locatelli, Giacomo Bonaventura, Ciro Immobile, Michele Di Gregorio, Federico Gatti and Matteo Politano generating some confusion.

Spalletti message to Fagioli

One unexpected inclusion in Spalletti’s preliminary Italy squad was Fagioli, who has only seen 358 minutes of action for Juventus this season after missing seven months of action due to a ban for placing bets on football matches.

Whilst a fresh pair of legs could be useful for the Azzurri, it also shows the coach’s desire to show support for a 23-year-old who has been forced to publicly fight his demons. Had his ban been shorter, Sandro Tonali could’ve also been included, but the Newcastle midfielder is unavailable until August.