“They never take a step back. They enter the pitch the way you enter history: with light in their eyes, chasing a dream…” These words from the communication campaign dedicated to the Women’s National Team, launched today by the Federation, perfectly capture the spirit of Andrea Soncin’s squad on the eve of their EURO 2025 opener against Belgium, scheduled for 18:00 CEST tomorrow in Sion. After a long build-up to the tournament, the Azzurre – with heads held high and with no intention of hiding – are ready to push forward, starting with tomorrow’s clash at the Stade de Tourbillon against the side that, three years ago, ended Italy’s European journey under Milena Bertolini.

“In these months, we’ve tried to take care of every detail, while still preserving that calm mindset that can be crucial when approaching such prestigious competitions,” said Andrea Soncin. “There has been pressure, of course, but also joy and fun, because the emotional side comes before everything else. Working with these players is truly magnificent: they’re ready, we’re ready, and we can’t wait to get started.” At his first European Championship, Soncin is asking his players to erase from their minds the previous tournament played in July 2022 in Manchester. There is no talk of revenge, then, also because the Azzurre’s outlook is quite different this time around. “We are very focused on our own journey. We have a lot of respect for Belgium, but we’re not looking at what happened in the past. They have top-level players and play a modern style of football. We have a clear tactical plan, and our focus is on our own identity. The first match is very important, and we’re here to play many more.”

Alongside the Head Coach was Elena Linari, who, with two European Championships, two World Cups and 115 caps to her name (second only to Cristiana Girelli on 118), is one of the team’s leaders. Who better than her, then, to share the squad’s feelings on the eve of the tournament? “It’s wonderful to be here; the emotion is always the same,” said the Roma defender. “We’re proud of everything we’ve done so far, and, of course, we want to do much better than in the last two editions. As the coach said, we’re not out for revenge – we just need to remember those difficult moments so we can show even greater determination on the pitch.”

Finally, before heading out for the final training session, ‘Linus’ described her role within the group and the atmosphere in the dressing room less than 24 hours before kick-off. “I’m not someone who talks a lot – I prefer actions. I try to lead by example for the younger players through my attitude and by always giving 100%. We want to show our true worth, and we hope to see plenty of Italian shirts and flags in the stands. We’ll try to harness even more of the positive energy that the coach and staff pass on to us each day.”

BELGIUM. Recent results between the two sides favour Gunnarsdóttir’s side: Belgium, making their second appearance at the Euro finals, have won four of their last five meetings with Italy in all competitions, including each of the most recent three (among them the 1-0 victory during the EURO 2022 group stage). The team, led by forward Tessa Wullaert – their main threat along with strike partner Janice Cayman – come into the tournament off the back of a 2-0 friendly win over Greece, which followed a tough test against France that ended 5-0 to the French. In the most recent Nations League, Belgium finished third in their group behind Spain and England and ahead of Portugal, who, along with the Spaniards, feature in Group B at EURO 2025 (the two sides will face each other tomorrow at 21:00 CEST in Bern).

When looking at the numbers for goals conceded and shots allowed during the European qualifiers, Belgium could be vulnerable defensively. Indeed, they conceded the most goals among the League A teams (18) and allowed 90 shots on goal, ranking sixth-from-bottom in this regard. Set pieces could also prove decisive, even though Italy scored 88% of their goals from open play (seven out of eight): Belgium conceded five times from dead-ball situations in the ten matches they played during the qualifying campaign (including the play-offs).