Italy Announces Roster for IFAF Europe Qualification Tournament
Team Italy head coach Davide Giuliano has released his 45 man roster of players who will wear the blue jerseys of the Italian national team at Lignano Sabbiadoro stadium for the IFAF Europe 2016 Group B qualification tournament next month.
The winner of the tournament will meet team Denmark in 2017 to determine who will participate in the 2018 IFAF Europe Group A competition which will feature the top six national American football teams in Europe.
The Italian champion Milano Rhinos have seven players on the roster as do their opponents from the Italian final, the Bolzano Giants.
Team Italy fell to France last month in an international friendly, losing 23-15.
The roster for Italy includes five multi-nationals: running back Louis Peter Cotrone (Torino Giaguari), defensive back Brian Joseph Michitti (Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, German league), running back Nicholas Dante Ricciadulli (Milano Rhinos), linebacker Vincent Romano (Bergamo Lions) and quarterback Luke Zahradka as well as linebacker Nikolas Suppas, an Italian who also plays for Schwäbisch Hall.
Manfredi Leone, general manager of the Italian national team commented,
“On behalf of the Federation I want to thank coach Giuliano for the long, hard work done so far in the meticulous selection of the best athletes to compose the national team. Getting Nick Ricciardulli was a wonderful surprise. He was freed from his contractual commitments to the National Gridiron League in Australia after the suspension of that league, and he was immediately available and joined with enthusiasm to the group.
We hope to have an enthusiastic home crowd giving us their support for this adventure that is about to begin. On behalf of all our athletes and all the staff we thank everyone. “
2016 Italian National American Football Team:
| Surname | Name | Pos. | Club | Club City |
| BARBAGALLO | GREGORIO | WR | ELEPHANTS | CATANIA |
| BENONI | ANDREA | LB | GUELFI | FIRENZE |
| BERNARDONI | SIMONE | DL | PANTHERS | PARMA |
| BIANCALANA | PAOLO | WR | MARINES | LAZIO |
| BONANNO | GIACOMO | WR | RHINOS | MILANO |
| BONAPARTE | DANILO | RB | SEAMEN | MILANO |
| BUSTO | PIERFRANCESCO | OL | MARINES | LAZIO |
| CACCIALUPI | GIOVANNI | DB | HOGS | REGGIO EMILIA |
| CACCIOLATTO | DAVIDE | DL | GIAGUARI | TORINO |
| CARROLI | DOMENICO MARIA | OL | PANTHERS | PARMA |
| CHIAPPINI | STEFANO | OL | AQUILE | FERRARA |
| CIATTAGLIA | FABIO | OL | GIAGUARI | TORINO |
| COTRONE | LOUIS PETER | RB | GIAGUARI | TORINO |
| COVA | LUCA | DL | SEAMEN | MILANO |
| DALLE PIAGGE | LORENZO | DL | PANTHERS | PARMA |
| DELLA VECCHIA | GIUSEPPE | DB | RHINOS | MILANO |
| DI GIORGIO | ALESSANDRO | RB | BARBARI | ROMA |
| DITUNISI | STEFANO | K/P | SEAMEN | MILANO |
| ERIOLDI | ALEX | DB | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| FANTI | FRANCESCO | OL | RHINOS | MILANO |
| FERRARI | ALEX | LB | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| FINADRI | TOMMASO | WR | PANTHERS | PARMA |
| FORLAI | FEDERICO | DB | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| GALLINA | ALBERTO | LB | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| GENNARO | DIEGO | DL | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| INSOM | GIACOMO | DL | GRIZZLIES | ROMA |
| MARCHINI | MICHELE | WR | DOLPHINS | ANCONA |
| MICHITTI | BRIAN JOSEPH | DB | UNICORNS | SCHWABISH HALL (GER) |
| MONARDI | TOMMASO | QB | PANTHERS | PARMA |
| MORARA | ARTURO | DB | RAVENS | IMOLA |
| PEDROTTI | FRANCO | OL | PANTHERS | PARMA |
| PIGNATARO | LORENZO | DB | DOLPHINS | ANCONA |
| PODAVITTE | MARCO | WR | LIONS | BERG |
| POZZEBON | TOMMASO | WR | MARINES | LAZIO |
| RACO | CARLO | DB | RHINOS | MILANO |
| RICCHIUTI | PAOLO | LB | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| RICCIARDULLI | NICHOLAS DANTE | RB | RHINOS | MILANO |
| ROCCOTIELLO | FRANCESCO | DB | RHINOS | MILANO |
| ROMANO | VINCENT UMBERTO | LB | LIONS | BERGAMO |
| ROMANO | GIULIO | OL | ELEPHANTS | CATANIA |
| SCARAMUZZA | NICOLA | WR | ISLANDERS | VENEZIA |
| SUPPA | NIKOLAS | LB | UNICORNS | SCHWABISH HALL (GER) |
| VERGANI | ALESSANDRO | OL | RHINOS | MILANO |
| VIVIANI | ELIA | DL | GIANTS | BOLZANO |
| ZAHRADKA | LUKE | QB | BLACK PANTHERS | PRAGUE |
