With one month to go until the start of the World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday 20 July with the opening match between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park in Auckland, where four days later the Italian national team will make their debut against Argentina, the Azzurre met up again in Bruneck to begin preparation for the World Cup. The training camp began yesterday with a double training session and this morning the 24 players at the disposal of Milena Bertolini were back on the pitch to continue the technical-tactical work.

"The girls came here with great enthusiasm," said the coach. "In these two days, I have seen many smiles and a lot of listening skills. It will be an important week, which will give us the opportunity to evaluate the youngest players while waiting to work from Monday with the enlarged group. The call-ups are by no means a foregone conclusion, the players have followed the programme we sent them and they arrived here already in good condition. They are giving me a hard time, it will be difficult for all of them to be in the list of the 23 who will take part in the World Cup.

On Friday, before the break of the lines for the weekend, the coach will announce the list of players called up for the second week of training camp, in which the Juventus and Roma players will also take part, ready to join their teammates after having benefited from seven extra days of rest following the Italian Cup final. Italy will continue their preparation at the sports park in Reischach (Bruneck) - in the same facility that hosted the Azzurri delegation before the 2019 edition - until Thursday 29 June, the day on which the Azzurre will move to Ferrara where on Saturday 1 July at the Stadio Paolo Mazza (kick-off at 7pm) they will take on Morocco in the friendly match that will precede the departure for Auckland, scheduled for 5 July. There are fifteen days to go before the start of the expedition to New Zealand, thirty-four to the first match against the Albicelestes: Italy is running fast towards its debut in the World Cup.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Fiorentina), Francesca Durante (Inter), Laura Giuliani (Milan), Katja Schroffenegger (Fiorentina);

Defenders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Milan), Federica Cafferata (Fiorentina), Maria Luisa Filangeri (Sassuolo), Beatrice Merlo (Inter), Julie Piga (FC Fleury 91), Benedetta Orsi (Sassuolo), Chiara Robustellini (Inter), Angelica Soffia (Milan);

Midfielder: Valentina Cernoia (Juventus), Giulia Dragoni (Barcellona), Marta Teresa Pandini (Inter), Emma Severini (Fiorentina), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Flaminia Simonetti (Inter);

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Sampdoria), Michela Catena (Fiorentina), Benedetta Glionna (Roma), Miriam Chiara Longo (Fiorentina), Martina Piemonte (Milan).