Second win from their second match for Italy U17 Women at the Female Football Tournament, after beating North Macedonia (2-0) and Slovenia (3-0), scoring one more goal than in the first match, and earning the chance to win the Gradisca d’Isonzo tournament for the third consecutive year. On Sunday at 18:30 CEST at the Stadio Gino Colaussi, the Azzurrine will face Ireland, who beat Macedonia earlier yesterday 4-0.

Italy dominated right from the start. The opening goal came in the 24^th minute as Giada Grilli (Roma) sent a low shot past the keeper after a cross from Ciccarelli. Before halftime, Leandri’s team came close to doubling the lead with two chances, the first for Grassi and then for Fontana, following a short save by the Slovenian goalkeeper. The 2-0 goal came in the 9^th minute of the second half as Sterner delivered a cross for Emma Myriam Fontana (Fiorentina) to head into the net. Italy sealed the match in the 38^th minute with an impressive solo effort from Ottaviani, who provided the assist for Marta Grigolo (Juventus), also a goal-scorer in yesterday’s win over North Macedonia.

“The team was very proactive, against an opponent similar to one we played yesterday,” said the coach. “We didn’t take any risks in a well-played game. It will be good for the goals to play a match with a decisive result: the U15 and U16 teams were mostly focused on development, but now, at U17, as well as that ongoing development, the results start to matter too. So, it’s great to get used to playing matches with something at stake.”

THE EVENT Today, Saturday 13 September at 10:00 CEST, as part of the Festival of Sport, Health, and Wellbeing “SportInGradisca”, the conference “Women on the Pitch: the Match for Equality” took place. The event was organised by ASD Tornei e Eventi Internazionali together with AIAS FVG, the Italian Association of Sports Lawyers, Friuli Venezia Giulia Committee, and is sponsored by the Municipality. Speakers included Andrea Soncin, head coach of the Azzurre (semi-finalists in the Euros in Switzerland), Andrea Capobianco, head coach of the Italian Women’s National Basketball Team (recent European bronze medallist), and Roberto Brunamonti, Italian basketball legend and currently head of the Academy Project at the Italian Basketball Federation. Soncin’s presentation on ‘Language and stereotypes in Women’s Football’ focused on overcoming cultural barriers and adopting inclusive language as key steps to promoting women’s sport.

9^th Female Football Tournament 2025

Matchday 1 (Wednesday-Thursday, 11 September)

Slovenia vs. Ireland 0-4

ITALY vs. North Macedonia 2-0

 

Matchday 2 (Friday, 12 September)

Ireland vs. North Macedonia 4-0

ITALY vs. Slovenia 3-0

 

Matchday 3 (Sunday, 14 September)

15:00 CEST Slovenia vs. North Macedonia (Monfalcone)

18:30 CEST ITALY vs. Ireland (Gradisca d’Isonzo)