The Philippine U19 men’s squad takes on select pool of players representing Italy in Philippines-Italy Friendship Cup Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Football Field.

This match is a part of the celebration of the close ties between Italy and the Philippines.

The Philippines will be handled by Philippine Football Federation (PFF) technical director Josep Ferre while the Italian side will be under the tutelage of former Azkals member Simon Greatwich.

Ambassador of Italy to the Philippines Marco Clemente said this match is one way of celebrating the Festa della Repubblica or Italian Republic Day, which was held last 2 June.

“The Philippines-Italy Friendship Cup 2024 is one of the most important events in the series of initiatives organized by the Embassy of Italy in Manila for the 2024 Italian Republic Day. This event marks a new chapter in the fruitful cooperation between Italy and the Philippines, which was also celebrated in 2022 during the 75th Anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations,” Clemente said.

“The Italian football tradition, one of the oldest and most significant worldwide, embodies values that are fundamental not only to the sporting cultures of our two countries but also to the value systems shared by Italy and the Philippines: healthy competition, respect for opponents, a sense of belonging, discipline, perseverance, and sacrifice are some of the virtues that create common ground between our two peoples, fostering ever stronger integration and cooperation.”

PFF president John Anthony Gutierrez as it gives the U19 squad some much-needed game time for future tournaments.

“This Friendship Cup is very special to the federation on several levels. Aside from commemorating the ties between Italy and the Philippines, which date back to the 1940s, we are able to highlight Filipino football culture and also give our emerging U19 national team a chance to play against a selection team, which we expect to be a formidable opponent,” Gutierrez said.