It is the Italy shirt that, in a crescendo of emotions, connects the football journeys of Julie Piga and Eva Schatzer. Different stories, but 'Parallel Lives' in the blue of the Azzurre, to borrow the title from Plutarch's work at the end of the first century, which describe the lives of famous figures, from the pair consisting of Theseus and Romulus through to that of Dion and Brutus. In this case, the 'unlikely' duo is made up of the AC Milan defender and Juventus midfielder, united by their shared National Team journey.

Piga, who represented France at youth level before making the switch to Italy, and Schatzer were both called up for the first time by Milena Bertolini for the Azzure’s preparation camp for the 2023 World Cup. They then both made their debuts – Piga as a starter and Schatzer as a substitute – in Italy’s friendly against Malta at the Tre Fontane in Rome on 25 October this year. “When Soncin announced the starting line-up, I couldn’t believe it. I was surprised but thrilled to finally fulfil my dream,” said Piga. “More than a year separated my first call-up and debut, but I needed a bit of time to adjust to the pace of a new league and to get to know my teammates, who have always supported me. We’re a fantastic group, and I can’t wait to make another contribution.”

Four days after the match against Malta, the AC Milan player also took to the pitch – this time in the second half – against the world champions Spain in Vicenza, where she rewarded the Head Coach’s trust with another flawless performance. “That was also unexpected,” added Julie with a smile at the end of today’s training session. "However, the staff members involve all the players, so I knew exactly what to do. I’d also like to thank Linari and the other more experienced defenders because they constantly give me advice." From Coverciano, where the Azzurre continue to prepare for their final match of the year against Germany on Monday 2 December, Schatzer also looked back at the past with joy: “It was an amazing feeling: debuting for the senior National Team is the dream of every little girl who plays football. I’m happy to have achieved it in a game we won in front of many fans. That evening, I had just started warming up, and the coach suddenly called me over. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to worry about anything.”

Eva represents both the present and the future of Italian football, and, after carving out an increasingly important role for herself at Juventus (two goals in nine appearances in the league this season), she wants to do the same at international level, possibly starting with the test against Germany in Bochum. “It’ll be a very physical match against Germany,” she pointed out. “We’re preparing as best we can, paying attention to every detail. We know we’re capable of achieving another positive result against one of the most successful national teams in the world.”

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Matilde Copetti (Parma), Francesca Durante (Fiorentina), Laura Giuliani (Milan), Margot Shore (Bologna);

Defenders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Juventus), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Federica D’Auria (Lazio), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Maria Luisa Filangeri (Fiorentina), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (Roma), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Julie Piga (Milan), Angelica Soffia (Milan);

Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Juventus), Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Eleonora Goldoni (Lazio), Giada Greggi (Roma), Nadine Nischler (Como), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Emma Severini (Fiorentina);

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Fiorentina), Michela Cambiaghi (Inter), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Roma), Benedetta Glionna (Roma).