Andrea Soncin has named the 23 Azzurre who will take part in the UEFA European Women’s Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland from 2 to 27 July. Of the 34 players involved in the pre-tournament training camp at Coverciano, the Head Coach has left out Maria Luisa Filangeri, Beatrice Merlo, Flaminia Simonetti, Martina Tomaselli, Agnese Bonfantini, Valentina Giacinti and Margherita Monnecchi. Astrid Gilardi, Valentina Bergamaschi, Martina Rosucci and Aurora Galli will be on standby and continue to train with the squad during the remainder of the preparation period. Under tournament regulations, squad changes are permitted in the event of injury or illness up until midnight on the day before a country’s opening match.

“We’re ready! My heartfelt thanks go to all the players who took part in this preparation phase, especially those who didn’t make the final squad. With professionalism, respect and a strong sense of responsibility, you all helped create the magical atmosphere we want to take with us to Switzerland. We want to approach this experience with passion, confidence and full awareness of our strengths. Le Azzurre siamo Noi!” These were the words of Head Coach Andrea Soncin, who featured today in a video shared on the @AzzurreFIGC social media channels. In the video, the names and faces of the players representing Italy at the 14th edition of the European Championship are revealed through giant stickers from Panini, the Stickers & Cards Partner of the National Teams.

After this morning’s training session at the Federal Technical Centre, the squad will enjoy a day of rest before regrouping in Rome on Friday for the official team photo and departure for Weggisa, a municipality in the canton of Lucerne, which will serve as the team’s base throughout their stay in Switzerland. Excitement and adrenaline are building, and the wait is almost over. For the Head Coach and eleven players, a first European Championship is in store. For the entire squad, however, the tournament in Switzerland offers a chance to make amends for the disappointing campaigns at EURO 2022 and the 2023 World Cup, both of which ended in the group stage.

Starting Saturday, the Azzurre will resume their preparations at the Thermoplan Arena – the training facility located two kilometres from their hotel – to fine-tune the final details ahead of their opening match against Belgium, scheduled for Thursday 3 July in Sion. Following the clash against the Belgians, who eliminated Italy in the last European Championship, Soncin’s team will face Portugal on Monday 7 July in Geneva and reigning world champions Spain on Thursday 11 July in Bern.

The aim is to reach at least the quarter-finals, something the team last managed back in 2013. It’s very much an obtainable, especially since the Azzurre have made solid progress under the new Head Coach, winning ten of their 23 games so far (including fantastic away wins against Spain and Germany), keeping eleven clean sheets and generally holding their own against some of the strongest teams out there. Everything’s in place to do well – and to keep dreaming big. Now, it’s time for the final push: the team’s opening game is just eight days away.

European Championship squad list

Goalkeepers: 12 Rachele Baldi (Inter), 22 Francesca Durante (Fiorentina), 1 Laura Giuliani (Milan);

Defenders: 17 Lisa Boattin (Juventus), 3 Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma), 19 Martina Lenzini (Juventus), 5 Elena Linari (Roma), 2 Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), 13 Julie Piga (Milan), 23 Cecilia Salvai (Juventus);

Midfielders: 18 Arianna Caruso (Bayern Monaco), 6 Manuela Giugliano (Roma), 16 Eleonora Goldoni (Lazio), 20 Giada Greggi (Roma), 4 Eva Schatzer (Juventus), 15 Annamaria Serturini (Inter), 8 Emma Severini (Fiorentina);

Forwards: 14 Chiara Beccari (Juventus), 11 Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), 21 Michela Cambiaghi (Inter), 7 Sofia Cantore (Juventus), 10 Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), 9 Martina Piemonte (Lazio).

* On standby: 27 Astrid Gilardi (Como), 25 Valentina Bergamaschi (Juventus), 26 Martina Rosucci (Juventus), 24 Aurora Galli (Everton)