FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

Italian national coach Cesare Maldini gave himself an extra two days to prepare his squad for the World Cup finals on Tuesday, when he brought forward the date of the team’s training camp.

Originally scheduled for Sunday, May 24 at Coverciano, on the outskirts of Florence, Maldini decided at a meeting with top federation officials here to bring the date forward to the Friday. As a result, Maldini will now announce his list of 22 for France 98 a day earlier than expected, on the Thursday. To outline his World Cup plans in public, the national coach will hold his first news conference at midday on Friday-a few hours before the players arrive from their respective clubs.

The Serie A season finishes this Saturday, but Juventus players will be given an extra few days’ grace before they are due at Coverciano, as they face Real Madrid in the European Cup final in Amsterdam on May 20. The squad will stay at Coverciano until May 31, when they will leave for Sweden, and their final pre-World Cup friendly in Gothenberg on June 2.

The players will then have a two-day holiday on their return, before flying out from Rome to Paris, and their World Cup base near Chantilly, north of the capital, on June 5.

Italy, the beaten finalists at USA 94, open their campaign at France 98 on June 11 against Chile in Bordeaux.