“We’re all part of one team, and I’m convinced that we can all work together to recreate real enthusiasm for women’s football.” This morning, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina tuned in via video call to send his greetings and reiterate the FIGC’s close support for the players and new staff of the women’s National Team. Head Coach Andrea Soncin was joined at Coverciano by Luciano Spalletti, who was once his coach at Venezia, with Maurizio Viscidi, the men’s National Youth Team coordinator, and Mauro Vladovich, the Organising Secretary of Club Italia, also involved.

“I’ve been coaching for a long time,” said Spalletti. “When I began, it was almost impossible to watch women play. Being here today to talk to you makes me reflect on how far we’ve come and that, above all, the credit should go to athletes like you. Be proud of that and carry that pride with you every time you take to the pitch, even more so when you wear the National Team shirt. Playing for Italy gives you the opportunity to make an entire country happy, but it also provides the chance to continue to show how much women’s football makes this sport complete and inclusive.”

Nations League approaching. The Azzurre held their first session under Soncin yesterday. It allowed the players to start to get to know the working methods of their new Head Coach, who is set to take charge of his first match when the team face Switzerland in their UEFA Women’s Nations League opener at 19:30 CEST on Friday in St. Gallen. With Viviana Schiavi and Alessandro Turone also watching on, the team did plenty of running and tactical work on a small pitch to begin their preparations for the Swiss. The two assistant coaches will be accompanying Soncin during this new adventure, along with goalkeeping coach Giuseppe Mammoliti, fitness coaches Cristian Savoia and Mattia Toffolutti, as well as match analyst Guido Didona.

“Being here is a real source of pride and a true sign of esteem,” said Schiavi. “The National Team has always represented a dream for me; this was the case as a player and even more so now I’m involved in the coaching setup. It’s a position that will allow me to contribute to the growth of the girls and the women’s game. We want our girls to showcase their enormous qualities.” The former Italy player (44 appearances for her country) then talked about her relationship with Soncin: “We have a real understanding, both character-wise and in terms of playing principles. It’s been a very positive start: we have clear ideas and are working hard to do something extraordinary.”

These words were echoed by Turone, who has been struck by the willingness of the team: “I’m happy to have been given this opportunity because being involved in the coaching setup of a National Team is always a great source of pride. The girls are listening to us closely, and we’re already creating a good group. All of our opponents will have real quality, so we’ll need to be determined and brave.”