Starting with the hardest test, against the Netherlands and followed by double away days in Scandinavia, Finland first then Norway. After yesterday's draw in Nyon, UEFA announced the official schedule for the Euro 2025 qualifiers. The Azzurre, in Group 1 of League A, will start their journey on Friday 5 April by hosting the Oranje who come off the back of the Nations League third-place playoffs. Then, on Tuesday 9 April, they will go away to Finland. At the end of May and the start of June, there will be two games against Norway, the last game will be on 16 July against Finland, four days after playing the Netherlands away.

Italy will need to aim for second or higher to progress directly to the Euros and avoid the playoffs. Even if they managed to avoid being drawn alongside Spain, France, and Germany, the highest-ranking sides, the road for Andrea Soncin's side is not an easy one, but the group wants to continue to grow and amaze.

OPPOSITION. Winners of the Euros in 2017 and World Cup finalists in 2019 (eliminated by Italy in the quarter-finals, beaten 2-0), the Oranje - 7th in the FIFA rankings - coming off the back of the Nations League third-place play offs that they lost to Germany, finishing fourth in the competition. Italy has played the Netherlands 18 times already with a record of 9 Azzurre wins, the last meeting was also a 1-0 victory for Italy thanks to a penalty from Girelli in June 2021. The record is not as positive against Norway (European champions in 1987 and 1993) who have won 13 of the 17 meetings, leaving 1 draw and 3 losses including the most recent meeting at the start of 2022 in the Algarve Cup (goals from Giacinti and Caruso). Italy and Finland have crossed paths 12 times and the most common result has been a draw (6), 3 of which in the last 3 matches; Italy have won 5 and been defeated only once.

THE NEW FORMAT: Today’s draw officially inaugurated the new format for European qualification that follows on from the Nations League results. Teams are split into three leagues: League A with 16 teams, League B with 16 teams and League C with the remaining 19 teams based on the performance in the UEFA Women’s Nations League and will compete in groups of either 4 or 3 (League C) sides. Italy will play 6 games between April and July (home and away) against 3 group opponents.

If they finish in first or second, the Azzurre will be going to Euro 2025, otherwise, they will have to face two rounds of playoffs: the first will be in October and will see the teams finishing third and fourth in League A play the five group winners and three best-ranked runners-up in League C.  Also, the four group winners and two best-ranked runners-up in League B will be drawn into six ties against the remaining two runners-up and four third-placed teams in League B. The winners of these games will go through to the second round of games in November/December (home and away games), with seeding for the seven highest-ranked teams based on the European Qualifiers overall league rankings. The seven winners progress to the final tournament.

The table at the end of the group stage will also decide who is promoted and relegated between the leagues in the next edition of the UWNL, to take place between 2025 and 2027: the winners, second and third-placed sides in League A will remain in League A; the runners-up and three best-ranked third-placed teams in League B will remain in League B; the second, third, and fourth-placed teams in League C will remain in League C; the winners in League B and C will be promoted whilst the fourth-placed sides in League A and B and the lowest-ranked third-placed team of League B will be relegated.

League A Groups

Group 1: Netherlands, ITALY, Norway, Finland
Group 2: Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Czech Republic
Group 3: France, England, Sweden, Ireland
Group 4: Germany, Austria, Iceland, Poland

Group 1 Schedule

Friday 5 April: ITALY vs. Netherlands, Norway vs. Finland
Tuesday 9 April: Finland vs. ITALY, Netherlands vs. Norway
Friday 31 May: Netherlands vs. Finland, Norway vs. ITALY
Tuesday 4 June: Finland vs. Netherlands, ITALY vs. Norway
Friday 12 July: Finland vs. Norway, Netherlands vs. ITALY
Tuesday 16 July: ITALY vs. Finland, Norway vs. Netherlands