A shock to start: the ambitious France Espoirs team embarks on Thursday in Cluj in the adventure of Euro-2023 by facing Italy, another favorite of the competition which has made its qualification for the next Olympic Games a priority objective .

Three Olympiads that the ‘Azzurrini’ watch on TV. The last participation of the Italian Espoirs in the Olympic football tournament dates back to Beijing in 2008. At the time, Usain Bolt was not retired and reigned supreme over the Bird’s Nest. An eternity.

In order not to miss Paris-2024, Italy has therefore decided to hit hard on paper. Striker Wilfried Gnonto, captain Sandro Tonali, an AC Milan midfielder clone of his idol Genaro Gattuso, and defender Giorgio Scalvini are full members of the Squadra Azzura, but Roberto Mancini left them at the disposal of Paolo Nicolato, his youth counterpart, so that Italy no longer misses the Olympic train.

But Sylvain Ripoll, the coach of the Bleuets, wants to take the first match of his people as an opportunity to be seized, rather than as an insurmountable obstacle which would restrain his flock.

“It’s a good poster and we won’t have the right to make mistakes against a high quality team, he explained before flying to Romania. But the Italians must tell themselves that too. Above all, this match allows us to enter fully into what is the true level of a European U23 championship”.

In tune with his trainer, the impressive armada azzura leaves a little marble Maxence Caqueret, the French captain. “Italy promises to be a tough opponent, estimated the Lyon midfielder, but we also have a lot of qualities to respond to him”.

In the absence of an Olympic qualification already acquired as host country, France remains very ambitious before launching its tournament. Defeated in the semi-finals four years ago, in the quarter two years ago, she wants, in Romania and Georgia, to obtain a title which she won only once in 1988 (Italy holds with Spain the record number of victories in a Euro Espoirs with five trophies won).

If the Blueberries can, too, rely on players who could claim the “A” team, like Khéphren Thuram, they rely above all on the homogeneity of their workforce.

Six players, for example, come from the Lyon training center (Kalulu, Lukeba, Caqueret, Cherki, Gouiri, Barcola), three were trained in Toulouse (Adli, Koné, Diakité) when others are used to working in ” pair” in club: Gouiri and Kalimuendo in Rennes, Wahi and Chotard in Montpellier, Chevalier and Diakité in Lille.

“But no one stays between themselves, assured Caqueret. Everyone laughs with each other. We exchange. Above all, we’ve been preparing for this for two years. We did everything well during qualifying (8 wins in 10 matches, five goals conceded for 31 scored, editor’s note). When you see the qualities of this squad, you obviously have ambitions. We can hope to go far. Les Bleuets will know it much more precisely on Thursday evening after their confrontation against Italy.