Silvio Baldini says that Inter striker Francesco Pio Esposito wants to play for the Italy U21 side at the upcoming European Championships next summer, as long as he is not too busy with the senior squad in June: ‘We hope they’ll leave him with us’.

Baldini and Italy have recently qualified for the U21 European Championship coming up in the summer of 2027 thanks to a thumping 6-2 victory against Poland in their final qualifying match, overtaking their opponents into first place in their group and sealing a guaranteed spot at the final tournament in the process.

Baldini has high hopes for the Azzurrini at the EUROs, claiming in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport that he wants to win the title and an Olympic gold medal the following summer and that both of these achievements are “definitely feasible.”

Baldini was also asked by the Pink Paper whether he intends on taking any eligible members of the senior Italy squad to the EUROs at the end of the season. Anybody born in 2004 or after will be allowed to feature, so that includes the likes of Esposito, Michael Kayode, Marco Palestra and Alessandro Romano.

Baldini says that he wants to continue working with the group that qualified for the EUROs, but says that Esposito ‘gave his availability’ over the summer.

“I’ll keep the ones that I have, my boys,” Baldini told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The only one who has given me his availability is Pio Esposito if he’s not too busy with the senior national team. When we left off in June, he told me he wanted to play in the European Championship because he’d also missed it two years earlier. We hope that there are no hitches and that they’ll leave him with us.”

Click here to read the full interview with Baldini.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Pio Esposito quiere jugar con Italia U21 en el Campeonato de Europa de 2027, dice Baldini" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Gironi & Calendario metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Mondiali 2026 Italia Editorial Desk. Readers following "Pio Esposito quiere jugar con Italia U21 en el Campeonato de Europa de 2027, dice Baldini" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.