Italy have confirmed they will play a friendly with Germany on March 31 in Nuremberg on the road to Euro 2020.

The Azzurri are also expected to face England at Wembley in the same break for international duty.

Roberto Mancini’s men qualified with a 100 per cent record of 10 wins and were placed in a Euro 2020 group with Turkey, Switzerland and Wales.

Germany, on the other hand, are in the so-called Group of Death with France, Portugal and a play-offs winner yet to be decided.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez believes Italy “are among the favourites to win Euro 2020, as Roberto Mancini’s work has been exceptional.”

The Azzurri will have all three group games on home turf at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome against Turkey, Switzerland and Wales.

“Italy are among the favourites to win Euro 2020,” Martinez told the Corriere dello Sport.

They won all 10 qualifiers to make themselves top seeds, just two years after missing out on the 2018 World Cup.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has branded leaked audio of him urging broadcasters not to pick up racist chanting “a clumsy attempt to embarrass me”.

La Repubblica yesterday published a transcript of a leaked audio file, which heard De Siervo advising TV companies to turn off microphones in the event of racial abuse during Serie A matches, so as to preserve the “product”.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Italy are set to contest their qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup with VAR after UEFA agreed to adopt the technology in principle.

Serie A was one of the first European Leagues to implement VAR in 2017, while it has already been used in international football - at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

UEFA has been hesitant to use the system, only introducing it at club level in the second half of last season.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has confessed that he isn’t a fan of VAR, calling it “a mess”.

Video assistant referees have been gradually introduced to football over the last few years, but Ceferin admits he doesn’t like the technology.

“It is a mess. I don’t think the tolerance or one or two centimeters for offside, for example, is enough,” he told The Mirror.

“We will propose a change to IFAB. And also for our referees.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Genoa striker Andrea Pinamonti says his dream is to become Italy’s No 9 after scoring the winner against Ascoli in the Coppa Italia.

The 20-year-old scored his fourth goal of the season in a 3-2 victory over the Serie B side, two months after Azzurri CT Roberto Mancini sounded him out as the future.

“My dream is to become Italy No 9,” Pinamonti told reporters after the cup tie.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Italy are reportedly about to announce pre-Euro 2020 friendlies against England and Germany for next March.

When Roberto Mancini spoke to the press after a 9-1 thrashing of Armenia last month, he revealed he would like to match his XI against top nations before entering the tournament next summer.

Having initially broke the news of Mancini’s demands, Corriere dello Sport now claims the Azzurri will have their troops challenged by England and Germany.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Turkey manager Senol Gunes hopes Roma star Cengiz Under can help them “feel at home” in the Euro 2020 opener with Italy at the Olimpico.

The Azzurri will face Turkey in the opening game of the entire tournament in Rome on June 12, then Switzerland and eventually Wales on June 21.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

Wales manager Ryan Giggs has “bad and good memories of playing in Rome” and hopes Italy rest their stars for the final Euro 2020 group game.

Group A has Italy along with Switzerland, Turkey and Wales, with all the Azzurri’s matches at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, whereas the Dragons will play the first two games in Baku.

“We want to take our chance, just like in 2016,” Giggs told the BBC, referring to their semi-final run.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/