Andrea Soncin’s press conference marked the start of the Azzurre’s final training camp of the season. The Italian women's national football team are training at the Olympic Training Centre in Tirrenia ahead of their final two crucial matches in the 2027 World Cup qualifying group. On Friday, 5 June 18:15 CEST, Serbia will arrive in Pisa, while the following Tuesday at 19:00 CEST, the final match of this window will take place in Gothenburg against Sweden. The group’s objective is clear: win both games in the hopes of beating Denmark and Sweden at the last moment and finish Group 1 in first place, the only position that guarantees direct qualification for the World Cup in Brazil, avoiding the risks of the playoff route.

It’s an objective that, based on the standings, will rely on both Denmark and Sweden’s results, as they play each other on Friday at 19:00 CEST in Denmark. Italy will be watching closely, but first, they must beat Serbia. Head coach Andrea Soncin commented, “We are delighted to play at the Arena Garibaldi because of the stadium’s history and the crowd’s passion. It will be a decisive match, and we chose Pisa because we are sure it will give our players a boost.”

After the first session yesterday, Soncin and his staff will lead a second training session this afternoon, aiming to manage the challenges of a preparation phase complicated by players’ fitness conditions, as some return from long intercontinental flights and others from Serie A clubs after at least a week without matches. Soncin continued, “This is certainly a unique camp. We’ve managed many different situations in the past, and we must now manage this in a specific way, tailoring the workload as much as possible to the individual. We want to make the pathway ideal for each player while staying focused on our identity and our playing tactics.”

A task made easier by the responsibility of representing the Azzurre, a privilege that the squad, led by players like Girelli, intend to honour with professionalism, passion, and courage. Soncin concluded, “We have great trust in the values within this dressing room, and we feel the responsibility to show our best version. We are here because we want to reach a potential final against Sweden.”

Ticketing: Italy vs Serbia

Tickets for the match, the first Azzurre game in Pisa, are on sale at figc.vivaticket.it and authorised Vivaticket outlets, with discounts for Under-18s, Over-65s, Pisa SC season ticket holders (2025/26), and university students.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Roma), Francesca Durante (Lazio), Laura Giuliani (Milan), Margot Shore (Marseille)
Defenders: Elisa Bartoli (Inter), Valentina Bergamaschi (Roma), Lisa Boattin (Houston Dash), Federica D’Aurica (Lazio), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Washington Spirit), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (London City Lionesses), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Angelica Soffia (Milan)
Midfielders: Melissa Bellucci (Napoli Women), Arianna Caruso (Bayern Munich), Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Giada Greggi (Roma), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Emma Severini (Fiorentina)
Forwards: Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Michela Cambiaghi (Juventus), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit), Cristiana Girelli (Bay FC), Benedetta Glionna (Inter), Margherita Monnecchi (Lazio), Martina Piemonte (Lazio), Noemi Visentin (Lazio)

Schedule

Tuesday 2 June: Training 17:30
Wednesday 3 June: Training 17:30
Thursday 4 June: Press conference (15:45) + training at Arena Garibaldi (17:00)
Friday 5 June: Italy vs Serbia (18:15 CEST)
Saturday 6 June: Training 10:30
Sunday 7 June: Training 10:30; flight to Gothenburg 17:00
Monday 8 June: Press conference (TBC, video); training MD-1 (18:00, Gamla Ullevi)
Tuesday 9 June: Sweden vs Italy (19:00 CEST); return to Italy after the match

Group 1 standings (League A)

  1. Denmark – 8 points

  2. Sweden – 7

  3. Italy – 5

  4. Serbia – 1

Upcoming matches

Matchday 5 (5 June): Denmark vs. Sweden, Italy vs. Serbia
Matchday 6 (9 June): Serbia vs. Denmark, Sweden vs. Italy