All together in pursuit of two dreams. First, the Azzurre want to reach the Nations League finals. Then, Soncin’s girls want to make their mark at the Euros. These are the objectives of the Women’s National Team, who, after last week’s training camp in the capital, have gathered in Parma to continue their preparations for their final Nations League fixtures against Sweden (18:20 CEST on Friday 30 May in Parma) and Wales (19:30 CEST on Tuesday 3 June in Swansea).

Thanks to the impressive 3-0 win away to Denmark on 8 April, the Azzurre are back in the hunt for first place in Group 4. A decisive match thus awaits against the Scandinavian outfit coached by Peter Gerhardsson. “We know Sweden well,” said Andrea Soncin in his press conference today. “It’ll be a tough game against a physically strong side who are dangerous on set-pieces and have great individual players who are used to big stages. They’re two points ahead of us, but we’re confident we can come away with a win.”

Soncin’s conviction comes from the steady growth of his side, who want to pick up three points to move ahead of the Swedes and then, four days later, take to the pitch to qualify for the finals, which are reserved for the winners of the four groups in League A. “We’ll go out there to win and keep fuelling our biggest dream: qualifying for the Finals,” added the Head Coach. “We want to keep building our playing identity, and we’ll do that at a prestigious stadium – one that spurred us on back in December 2023 when we got the better of Switzerland. I’m sure Friday will see a great crowd; Parma will give us a warm welcome, as this city always does.”

The showdown with the Scandinavians and the subsequent match in Wales will be significant for both the present and the future, as Soncin’s thoughts are already turning to the upcoming European Championship. “We can’t wait to play these 180 minutes and then throw ourselves headfirst into the incredible adventure of EURO 2025. It’ll be important to keep all the players together and in shape because there’s still a long way to go before the Euros, and the club season has been over for a while now. For me, as well as for many of the players, the tournament will be a first. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a child, and thinking about the national anthem and the chance to represent our country on such a thrilling stage gives me chills.”

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Inter), Francesca Durante (Fiorentina), Astrid Gilardi (Como), Laura Giuliani (AC Milan);

Defenders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Juventus), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), Maria Luisa Filangeri (Fiorentina), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (Roma), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Julie Piga (AC Milan), Martina Rosucci (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Angelica Soffia (AC Milan);

Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Bayern Munich), Aurora Galli (Everton), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Eleonora Goldoni (Lazio), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Annamaria Serturini (Inter), Emma Severini (Fiorentina), Flaminia Simonetti (Lazio), Martina Tomaselli (Inter);

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Fiorentina), Michela Cambiaghi (Inter), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Roma), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Margherita Monnecchi (Eibar), Martina Piemonte (Lazio).

CALENDAR, RESULTS AND STANDINGS, LEAGUE A GROUP 4

Matchday 1: ITALY 1-0 Wales, Denmark 1-2 Sweden
Matchday 2: ITALY 1-3 Denmark, Wales 1-1 Sweden
Matchday 3: Sweden 3-2 ITALY, Wales 1-2 Denmark
Matchday 4: Denmark 0-3 ITALY, Sweden 1-1 Wales

Standings: Sweden 8 points, ITALY and Denmark 6, Wales 2

Matchday 5 (30 May): ITALY vs. Sweden, Denmark vs. Wales
Matchday 6 (3 June): Wales vs. ITALY, Sweden vs. Denmark