On 7 March, the Azzurre inflicted a heavy 3-0 win on New Zealand, qualifying for the Algarve Cup Final against Germany, a match that unfortunately wasn’t played due to the Coronavirus pandemic. That was the last act of a national team that, not even a year ago, won the hearts of Italian football fans at the World Cup in France, and that currently lead their European Championship qualifying group with six wins from six, 19 goals to their name and only two conceded. The icon and leader of that Italian group is Coach Milena Bertolini, whom we interviewed exclusively.

How are you spending your time during this period we’re experiencing?

I work from home, like many Italians. Alongside the staff of Club Italia I’m making a summary of what’s been done so far, in terms of statistical data and so on. We often organise video conferences with the coaches of the women’s national youth teams as well as online training events. Besides work, I’m reading a lot, both books and newspapers, and I’m interested in various topics: sport, economy, nature and in-depth analysis of the virus, which is interfering with our lives. I also watch movies and old international football competitions, play cards with my mother and dedicate an hour or so to personal training in the garden. I feel lucky in this sense, because I live in the countryside and am surrounded by greenery.

Have you had the chance to talk to the Azzurre?

I heard from all of them at the beginning of April, before Easter. I asked them how they were doing and what they were up to. I follow them on social media, and I know that they’re working from home with training programmes from their respective clubs whilst they await football’s resumption.

Does the postponement of the European Championship from 2021 to 2022 change your planning in any way?

Not so much as qualifiers are concerned, because from September onwards we’ll play some key matches against Israel, Bosnia, Denmark and possibly the play-offs if we don’t qualify directly. From this point of view, the possibility that some things will be postponed a few weeks doesn’t change our plans. On the other hand, the postponement of the Euros by a year could change things in that the girls will be a year older, for better or for worse. But in any case, as I often say, I’m not prejudiced about age and I base my selection on performances on the pitch, regardless of whether the player is 36 or 18 years old.

Due to the ongoing health emergency, Italy didn’t play in the Algarve Cup Final against Germany in March, one of the strongest teams in the world. Where does our team stand in comparison with the German counterparts and other dominant sides in women’s football?

The FIFA World Ranking is clear: Germany are second behind the United States, while Italy are fourteenth. We’re certainly improving and narrowing that gap. But we must always consider that nations like Germany have been investing in women’s football for many more years than we have. And while we’ve made some progress, as the last World Cup showed, it’s still understandable that there’s some ground to make up. What’s more, our girls have only recently started to benefit from a professional context at club level, compared to what has happened in other nations; and I’m convinced that, if they could play on a level playing field, female Italian footballers would have the edge due to the immense qualities that distinguish Italian football culture: from creativity, to greater tactical awareness, and the passion surrounding the game in this country.

After their exploits at the last World Cup, Italy could play in the Euros with a lot of media attention, more interest from the fans, but also more expectations and pressure. In other words, we may no longer be considered underdogs, as we were in the last tournament, what could that result in?

I don’t think we’re going to turn up to the tournament as favourites. The Women’s Euros, which I must reiterate that we haven’t qualified for yet, is tougher than the World cup, because it’s made up of the European national teams which, aside from the USA, are the strongest in the world. With teams like Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, England, France, Holland and Spain we could easily find ourselves in a tricky group. In this case, we hope to be able to rely on our fans’ support, which was crucial in helping us surpass our aims at the World Cup. For us, their support will still be fundamental.

Going back to the period we’re experiencing, to whom would you award the ‘Scudetto del Cuore’?

I would award it to all the health workers. Not only doctors, but also nurses, cleaners and all the other staff who work with the sick and who risk their lives to save others. They’re the real champions of Italy.