Italy have named 18 players for a training camp ahead of the Women’s Futsal Euro Elite Round in Slovenia, where they will attempt to qualify for the finals for the first time.
The Divisione Calcio a 5, the Italian governing body for futsal, announced on 21 September that Paniccia — described in the announcement as the newly appointed national team coach — has selected the squad for a camp at the CPO ‘Giulio Onesti’ facility in Rome running from 28 September to 3 October. The squad will then depart for Laško, Slovenia on 4 October ahead of the Elite Round group stage, which takes place from 7 to 10 October 2026.
The Divisione Calcio a 5 noted that Italy’s women’s national futsal team has never previously qualified for the final stage of a Women’s Futsal European Championship. The finals are scheduled to be held in Osijek, Croatia from 14 to 21 March 2027.
A demanding group
Italy have been drawn into Group 3 of the Elite Round alongside hosts Slovenia, France, and Spain. According to the Divisione Calcio a 5, Spain have won the Women’s Futsal European Championship on all three occasions the competition has been staged, making them the most formidable obstacle in the group.
The full Elite Round group breakdown is as follows:
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group 1 | Czech Republic, Finland, Netherlands, Portugal |
| Group 2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden |
| Group 3 | Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia |
| Group 4 | Belgium, Norway, Poland, Ukraine |
Italy will open their campaign against Slovenia at the Sport Hall Tri Lilije on Wednesday 7 October at 19:00 local time. They then face Spain on Thursday 8 October at 16:30, before concluding the group stage against France on Saturday 10 October at 15:00.
The Divisione Calcio a 5 confirmed that the winners of each of the four Elite Round groups, plus the two best runners-up across all groups, advance directly to Osijek. The two remaining runners-up — those with the weakest records among second-placed sides — will contest a play-off in November. A third-place finish eliminates Italy entirely.
The order of fixtures creates a demanding opening: Italy face hosts Slovenia and defending champions Spain on consecutive days. The final match against France follows a day without a group fixture, giving the staff time to assess their position before the last opportunity to add points.
The squad
On Saturday 3 October, the last day of the Rome camp, Paniccia will reduce the group to 15 players: 14 to be entered on the official UEFA list, plus a third goalkeeper who will travel with the party but remain outside that list. The camp gives Paniccia time to assess the group before naming the travelling party.
Three goalkeepers have been called up: Denise Carturan of Bitonto, Anthea Polloni of Women Roma, and Ana Sestari of Falconara. The 15 outfield players draw from clubs across Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
- Renata Adamatti (CMB)
- Cecilia Barca (Lazio)
- Sara Boutimah (CMB)
- Sara Conticelli (Lazio)
- Ludovica Coppari (TikiTaka Adriatica)
- Rafaela Dal’Maz (Estrela Revoltosa Verin)
- Rebecca De Siena (TikiTaka Adriatica)
- Erika Ferrara (Falconara)
- Greta Ghilardi (Bitonto)
- Alessia Grieco (Bitonto)
- Nicoletta Mansueto (TikiTaka Adriatica)
- Greta Maretti (Ceuta)
- Silvia Praticò (Falconara)
- Gaby Vanelli (SL Benfica)
- Alice Virdis (Cagliari)
Kick-off times for UK viewers
The announced match times are local to Slovenia. In British Summer Time, Italy’s schedule is 18:00 against Slovenia on 7 October, 15:30 against Spain on 8 October, and 14:00 against France on 10 October. The tournament takes place before the autumn clock change.
The immediate decisions are the final squad and how to manage three matches in four days. With both group position and the comparison between runners-up affecting qualification, Italy will need to consider the full group programme rather than treating the Spain fixture as the only defining test.