Gianluca Scamacca's exceptional performance in the latter part of the season has secured him a place in Italy's provisional squad for Euro 2024, as announced by coach Luciano Spalletti on Thursday ahead of the tournament in Germany.
Scamacca, the striker for Atalanta, has been selected by Spalletti following his impressive record of 11 goals and four assists across all competitions since March, contributing significantly to Atalanta's triumph in the Europa League.
The 25-year-old's inclusion comes after being omitted from Italy's friendlies in March, during which Spalletti criticized certain players' off-field behaviors. Scamacca's resurgence now aims to address Italy's longstanding issue of finding consistent strikers.
Ciro Immobile, a key figure in Italy's previous Euro victory, has been left out due to inconsistent performances. Scamacca is expected to partner with Juventus' Federico Chiesa in the forward line, while Nicolo Fagioli, despite missing most of the season, has earned a surprise call-up for the midfield.
Fagioli's inclusion follows his recent return to action for Juventus after serving a seven-month ban for gambling on football matches, a scandal that led to the exclusion of Sandro Tonali from the squad.
Italy's squad for Euro 2024 reflects a shift towards younger talents, with players like Marco Verratti, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Lorenzo Insigne not making the cut. Verratti, who now plays for Al-Arabi in Qatar, has not been called up since Spalletti took charge last year.
Manuel Locatelli, who impressed in the previous Euro and subsequently secured a move to Juventus from Sassuolo, has also been omitted, expressing his disappointment on social media.
The final squad for Italy's campaign in Group B, where they will face Spain, Croatia, and Albania, will be announced on June 6. Pre-tournament friendlies against Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina are scheduled for early June.
