April 10 (Reuters) - Italy, who missed out on the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time, will return to action for two friendlies in June, with Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini taking charge of the team for the fixtures against Luxembourg and Greece, the Italian Football Federation said on Friday.
Italy’s failure to qualify for this year's World Cup in North America resulted in Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina resigning amid political pressure and the country's former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon stepping down as the team’s delegation chief. Head coach Gennaro Gattuso also left his position.
Italy face Luxembourg away on June 3 before taking on Greece on June 7 in Crete.
The team will begin their campaign in the fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League in September, where they are in Group 1 of League A with France, Belgium and Turkey.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
