It’s spring in Coverciano with early signs of a season well underway, and there’s sunshine lighting up the green pitches of the Federal Technical Centre. This camp is even more important as there is the desire to reset and carry on the fight for first place in the group, after recording just one point from the first two home qualifiers, and the lingering frustration from the match in Zenica, which has left the women’s national team as the only senior Italian side still fighting for a place at the next World Cup.

As expected, questions about that night in Bosnia were the first put to head coach Andrea Soncin at the press conference that officially opened the camp, following the first training session this morning at Coverciano. The coach commented, “They are different journeys. We feel responsibility as an opportunity to improve and continue working towards our objective. It’s an opportunity because all eyes are on us right now, and we want to show that we are a better version of what we showed in the first two matches of this qualifying group.”

With just one point taken from the opening two games against Sweden (a 1-0 defeat in Reggio Calabria) and Denmark (a 1-1 draw in Vicenza), Italy already have a difficult path to top the group and secure direct qualification for the World Cup in Brazil, without going through the playoffs. They now need positive results in both the games against Serbia (Tuesday, 14 April) and Denmark (Saturday, 18 April) to keep their hopes alive.

 

Soncin continued his analysis, “We are very aware that in the first two matches we collected less than we deserved. In both games, we managed certain phases very well and others less so. Together with the players and staff, we are working on ensuring we are focused throughout the whole game, aware that it was the details that negatively made the difference. We want to control games and play our way, but we also need to be more careful and smarter in the decisive moments, so we don’t lose points like before.

Our next challenge? Serbia have shown in both of their previous matches that they have a clear team identity, with a clear game plan, and players competing in top-level leagues. We will pay maximum attention to what a match like this can bring. The positive note is that we now have time to better manage our training sessions ahead of the first game; we have the chance to work and help recover players who are coming from long distances. This is a camp that allows us to refine all the smaller details, including the intensity that will already be required in the first match.”

He then discussed the outgoing FIGC president and the situation in Italian football: “I am grateful to President Gravina for the opportunity I was given when he appointed me head coach. It is a responsibility I immediately saw as pivotal. As for the women’s game, it is evolving across Club Italia, federation policies, and clubs. There is still a lot to do, but the ideas are there, as is the desire. We work for the present but also look to the future: there is full collaboration with all the women’s youth national teams, thanks also to the work of Fabio Andolfi and Enrico Sbardella.”

ITALY VS. SERBIA IN PISA. The venue for the Azzurre’s fifth game (their last home game of the group) has been officially confirmed: on 5 June, Italy will face Serbia at the Arena Garibaldi – Romeo Anconetani stadium in Pisa. This marks the first time the women’s national team will play in the Tuscan city.

 

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Roma), Astrid Gilardi (Como Women)*, Laura Giuliani (Milan), Margot Shore (Marseille);
Defenders: Caterina Ambrosi (Parma), Valentina Bergamaschi (Roma), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Washington Spirit), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (London City Lionesses), Marika Massimino (Ternana), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Angelica Soffia (Milan);
Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Bayern Munich), Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Aurora Galli (Everton), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Giada Greggi (Roma), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Emma Severini (Fiorentina);
Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Fiorentina), Michela Cambiaghi (Juventus), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit), Cristiana Girelli (Bay FC), Benedetta Glionna (Inter), Martina Piemonte (Lazio).

*Called up as a replacement for Francesca Durante (Lazio).