Following the win against Australia in the opening match, the Italy Women’s National Team arrived in Reims yesterday ahead of the match on Friday when they will have a chance to secure qualification to the knockout stages. Jamaica will be the opponent and they conceded three in their opening fixture against Brazil. Should Italy win and Australia fail to beat Brazil, qualification would be mathematically secured.

In training, the girls who played against Australia rejoined the rest of the squad for work as normal. After her positive performance against the Matildas, Alia Guagni spoke about the situation in the camp: "We feel good, we had a great game and we’re really happy," said the Fiorentina defender at the press conference. "It won’t be easy against Jamaica, they’re a very well-prepared side physically, they run a lot and they’ll give us a hard time."

Between the summer of 2013 and the summer of 2015, Guagni played at Seattle in the Second Division as he gained new experiences. Alia then returned to Italy and won her first Scudetto two years ago which was the first in the Viola’s history. "A child starting to play football there is in a good place, there are ten pitches at the training ground and nine of them have girls playing on them. We’re starting to take that approach in Italy and it will take years to get to the top level. The requirement that professional men’s clubs set up female sides, the National Team’s results and the investments made by the Federation show that this is a turning point."

"We’re not used to all the attention, having interviews and press conferences every day. It’s nice because it shows you that the sport is growing but we can’t lose sight of what matters most and that’s our task on the pitch. It was a dream to get here and we’re experiencing that dream now." Ahead of the Australia match, Milena Bertolini asked for the team to be ‘compact’ and Italy showed that they could do it. "For us, the key element is the group, we’re very united and when an individual can’t get there, the others cover. Over the last two years, we’ve improved a lot in terms of conditioning even if tactics and technique are our strong points."

A defender on paper, Guagni can play in different roles and she’s helped by her great pace. "I started as a centre-back, then moved to full-back and then in Florence, I started to play higher and I attack space when I see it." It’s not by chance then that her role model is Samuel Eto’o who was a forward always ready to make sacrifices. "He’s the kind of player I feel closest to, quick and it doesn’t really matter that he was a forward and I’m a defender. Why do I have a male role model? When I started, you didn’t see women’s games on tv so it was hard to have a female role model. Things are changing now, perhaps in the next generation there will be girls who want to be like Bonansea or Giugliano." How about like Alia Guagni? "Why not?"

National Team schedule (all times CEST)

Tuesday 11 June

13:00 – Lunch

Followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel

18:00 – Training at the Stadio Jean Bucton (first 15 minutes open to public)

Wednesday 12 June

13:00 – Lunch

Followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel

18:00 – Training at the Stadio Jean Bucton (behind closed doors)

Thursday 13 June

11:00 – Training at the Stadio Jean Bucton (first 15 minutes open to public)

18:30 – Press conference at the Stadio Auguste Delaune (Head Coach and a player)

19:00 - Walkaround

Friday 14 June

18:00 – Jamaica vs. Italy (Stadio Auguste Delaune)

Followed by press conference

Saturday 15 June

10:00 – Training (first 15 minutes open to public)

Followed by press commitments

12:30 – Lunch

14:00 – Bus for Lille

16:45 – Arrival in Lille

Sunday 16 June

12:30 – Lunch

Followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel

18:00 – Training at Le Stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq (behind closed doors)

Monday 17 June

17:00 – Press conference at the Stadio du Hainaut (Head Coach and a player)

19:00 – Training at Le Stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq (first 15 minutes open to public)

Tuesday 18 June

21:00 – Italy vs. Brasile (Stadio du Hainaut)

Followed by press conference

N.B. The schedule could be subject to changes