Serie B and C prove valuable breeding ground: fifteen called up for Italy youth sides
Lower leagues deliver consistent contributions to Italy's youth national teams across U21, U20 and U19 levels. Reserve sides of major clubs lead representation from Serie C.
Serie B and Serie C continue to function as crucial development channels for Italian youth football. At U21 level, five players from the second tier have been called up: Brando Moruzzi and Giacomo Faticanti of Avellino, Tommaso Berti of Cremonese, Luigi Cherubini of Benevento and Dominic Vavassori of Palermo. Nine further Serie C players join the squad, bringing the total from both lower divisions to fourteen.
The U20 setup includes two Serie B representatives—Matteo Cocchi of Padova and Emanuele Rao of Pisa—alongside eleven Serie C prospects. The satellite academies of top clubs provide significant depth: Atalanta U23, Inter U23 and Juventus Next Gen contribute six players between them, including goalkeeper Tommaso Vannucchi of Arzignano Valchiampo, defenders Javison Idele and Matteo Giuseppe Plaia of Atalanta U23, Francesco Verde of Juventus Next Gen, and forwards Matteo Lavelli and Mattia Mosconi of Inter U23.
The U19 contingent features David Marini of Cesena from the second tier, though his appearances to date have been limited to Primavera action. Serie C supplies seven names across both categories: defensive prospects Leonardo Bovio and Mattia Marello of Inter U23 alongside goalkeeper Alessandro Anelli of Atalanta U23, plus forwards Destiny Elimoghale of Juventus Next Gen and midfielder Vincenzo Prisco of Bari. The three reserve squads underline their institutional importance, collectively accounting for ten convocations across the younger age groups.