The sky is grey at Coverciano, on what is a typical autumnal day. The cold doesn’t enter the magna room of the Centro Tecnico Federale, as Andrea Soncini sits prepared to answer questions from present journalists and others remotely: it’s the first day of camp for the Azzurre, in this final camp at the end of 2024. It’s been a good year for the Women’s National Team who secured qualification for the next European Championships, without the need for the play-offs, winning their group and finishing ahead of tough sides like the Netherlands and Norway. 

“We have to bring our identity of play forward, trying to be superior and the fact of accepting that we need to also defend in equal numbers”. We have to try and gain control of the match. Soncin replies convinced, looking to the future, aware of his own ideas and the strength of his side.

It’s the final camp of 2024 at Coverciano, which brings the excitement of waiting, imagining what will come of the draw on 16 December, when the Azzurre will find out their opponents in the group stages of the European Championships; but it is a camp that precedes another obstacle, as they face Germany in Bochum (Monday 2 December, 20:30 CET, live on RaiSport).

“There have been many memorable moments - the Head coach explained - we have finished every camp with a bit of nostalgia, because we’ve been building something unique and we don't want to forget these moments. The bitterest moment this year? The defeat to Finland. But it’s also true that this was the moment that the girls started to believe that they could do something more, that we can play at the same level as teams that are considered stronger than us”.  

Now focus is shifted to Bochum, for the match against Germany, which will cap off this positive year for the Azzurre: “We’re facing a very strong opponent, different compared to the teams that we’ve faced, namely Spain, when it comes to their style of play. But, we will have to face them with the same mentality, because we want to be one of the main sides in the Nations League and Euro’s.

Our journey is one that needs to continue; the results that we have gained are a product of the movement, but from this point of view even more given the relationships that we are making with clubs, and this is also true for the Youth National Teams. As people, usually, we are concentrated on results in the short term, but we have to be able to look at the longer term prospects”. 

Now for a comment on the squad. “Some players have not been called-up. There’s no Girelli case: it all comes from personal needs. I don’t want to burden the players with extra risks and travel, also because of the good relationships that we have with the clubs. A lot has been made out of nothing: Cristiana will definitely be back in the National Team”.

SQUAD LIST 

Goalkeepers: Matilde Copetti (Parma), Francesca Durante (Fiorentina), Laura Giuliani (Milan), Margot Shore (Bologna);
Defenders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Juventus), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Federica D’Auria (Lazio), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Maria Luisa Filangeri (Fiorentina), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (Roma), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Julie Piga (Milan), Angelica Soffia (Milan);
Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Juventus), Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Eleonora Goldoni (Lazio), Giada Greggi (Roma), Nadine Nischler (Como), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Emma Severini (Fiorentina);
Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Fiorentina), Michela Cambiaghi (Inter), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Roma), Benedetta Glionna (Roma).