European Champions!

The Under 17 men’s national football team beats Belgium 4-3 on penalties and becomes European Champion for the second time in its history

TALLIN (ESTONIA) – From a senior national team that is trying to rise from its ashes, there is another that dominates. The Under 17 concludes its continental journey triumphantly, becoming European Champion for the second time after the success in 2024 in Cyprus with Portugal.

But unlike two years ago, this time the victory was much harder fought. At the Lilleküla Stadium in Tallinn, Estonia, the Azzurrini found themselves down 1-0 with five minutes left in the final. But they didn’t give up and, in the first of the 5 minutes of stoppage time granted by the referee, the Albanian Florian Lata, they equalized thanks to the penalty converted by Atalanta’s striker Marcello Fugazzola, awarded for a handball by Genk’s defender Elie Mbavu.

It goes straight to the penalty shootout and there, once again like with Spain, the Lecce goalkeeper Christian Lupo is decisive. The first three attempts from each side come in with Dierckx, Blondeel, and Verstrepen for Belgium and Fugazzola, Casagrande, and Okon-Engstler for Italy.

Then Lupo rejects the conclusion of Ojea, it’s up to Rocca who, however, shoots wide. Moorthamer hits the crossbar. The decisive shot is at the feet of Perillo who doesn’t miss. The boys of coach Daniele Franceschini can run onto the field, cry tears of joy, and shout: European Champions!

The statements

At the end of the match, the comment from the vice president of FIGC, Umberto Calcagno, who watched the game from the stands alongside the head of delegation Filippo Corti, the coordinator of the Azzurri men’s youth national teams Maurizio Viscidi, and his deputy Daniele Zoratto, in addition to receiving a congratulatory phone call for the achievement from the deputy vice president Gabriele Gravina:

“I am very happy for the boys. It is the culmination of a dream, at the end of a magnificent journey they have taken together with the staff and the entire environment. In general, being so successful at the youth level for so many years means that we have created a positive environment in the Club Italia of the FIGC, both on and off the field. We are outlining virtuous team pathways, but today, in particular, we have a great responsibility to enhance their individual journeys, trying to make them better in the future compared to the boys who came before them.”

Following the beautiful words of the federal vice president, we have those of the coach Daniele Franceschini, who matches his predecessor Massimiliano Favo – currently leading the Under 18 national team – by winning the European Championship in his first season on the bench of the Under 17:

“It’s an indescribable emotion – admits the blue coach –. The boys did something exceptional, giving everything they had, because finals are not played only on a technical-tactical level, but with the heart. They always believed, even when we were down just a few minutes from the end. From the beginning of this adventure, I have always asked the boys to have balance and to maintain their identity, continuing to play. We were good at not losing heart and not losing concentration, giving ourselves a unique emotion.”

The scorecard

BELGIUM-ITALY 1-1, 4-5 pens (0-0 ht)

Belgium (4-2-3-1): Seghers; Moorthamer, Mbavu ©, Blondeel, El Morabet; van Gelder (83’ Kalonji), Dierckx; Onia Seke (83’ Achahbar), Driessen (71’ Ojea), Nga Kana (90’+2 Verstrepen); Benktib (83’ Onehese). Sub: Piselé (P), Saidi, Garcia Belkacem, Strouwen. Coach: Sven Vermant.

Italy (4-3-1-2): Lupo; Bonifazi, Diallo, Varali, Dattilo (87’ Rocca); Gasparello (58′ Ballarin), Okon-Engstler, Biondini © (87’ Fugazzola); Corigliano (67′ Landi); Perillo, Croci (58′ Casagrande). Bench: Giaretta (G), Albini, Donato, Puricelli. Coach: Daniele Franceschini.

Referee: Florian Lata (ALB). Assistant referees: Mario Shazivari (ALB) and Nikola Borović (SRB). Fourth official: Tom Owen (WAL).

Scorers: 85’ Ojea (BEL), 90’+1 pen. Fugazzola (ITA).
Pens: Dierckx (BEL) goal, Fugazzola (ITA) goal, Blondeel (BEL) goal, Casagrande (ITA) goal, Verstrepen (BEL) goal, Okon-Engstler (ITA) goal, Ojea (BEL) saved, Rocca (ITA) missed, Moorthamer (BEL) crossbar, Perillo (ITA) goal.

Note: Biondini (ITA) cautioned at 46’, Ballarin (ITA) at 61’, Casagrande (ITA) at 74’, Driessen (BEL) at 85’, Ojea (BEL) at 86’, Moorthamer (BEL) at 89’, Fugazzola (ITA) at 90’+1, Rocca (ITA) at 90’+6. Recovery 0’pt, 5’st.

Photo Credits: Figc.it