With just over eight months to go before the World Cup finals take place next summer in Australia and New Zealand, the Azzurre continue their preparations with a new training camp and two friendly games to look forward to.

“Enthusiasm and motivation” are the key words that Milena Bertolini repeated, almost as a mantra, many times during her press conference at the start of this camp at Coverciano. Although it may seem like there's a long way to go before the finals in 2023, the Head Coach knows all too well how vital it is to have, from now on, a high level of concentration. "Everyone, from the players to the staff must have in the forefront of their minds our main objective, even in the long-term; it's a great opportunity for the whole footballing movement," underlined Bertolini.

One month ago, the Azzurre came out on the wrong side of a slender 1-0 defeat to Brazil in the beautiful setting of stadio ‘Luigi Ferraris’ in Genova: “We must start off from there," the Head Coach continued. "We lost the game, it's true, but we showed many good signs against one of the best teams in the world. We'll start back up from there, looking to improve in our attacking play." 

Two new friendlies await the Azzurre: on Friday 11 November, at 17:30 CET in Lignano Sabbiadoro, they face Austria (live on Rai 2) and then travel to Northern Ireland to play the host nation on Tuesday 15 November at 20:00 CET (live on RaiSport). “Austria play with a high intensity and I think they were one of the revelations at the last Euros. It'll be a high-quality test and they'll put us under pressure with their intensity, which is something we want and need. During this camp, we'll do some tests in preparation for the World Cup, and it's why we're working with a slightly larger group of players this time around, despite a few being out through injury. The World Cup group we've been drawn into is very tough, but when you get to such a stage then it's normal; we'll face Sweden, who are a top side, and Argentina, another high-performing team. It'll be a strange situation though being summer, although where'll be, in Auckland and Wellington, we'll be in a cold climate due to its latitude. We''re going to a beautiful place but we'll need to be able to adapt quickly."

In the group at Coverciano, Juventus goalkeeper, Roberta Aprile, was called up today to replace Katja Schroffenegger who has tested positive for COVID. To end the press conference, Milena Bertolini had a few words to say on the Ferrovie dello Stato Italian Super Cup, that was won by Roma in Parma last Saturday afternoon: “It was a really hard-fought contest. In finals, there is always so much tension that it can amount to not being the best of spectacles. But the fact it was so finely balanced made it very interesting. Such games make you develop, not so much from a physical and intensity point of view, but from a mental one, because every moment could become the vital one."

Media accreditation: requests can now be made by media outlets for the game in Lignano Sabbiadoro exclusively through our online electronic system at www.accreditations.figc.it, and have until 12:00 CET on Tuesday 8 November to do so. They can only be made upon providing registration on the FIGC Accreditation portal.

Squad List

Goalkeepers: Roberta Aprile (Juventus), Francesca Durante (Inter), Laura Giuliani (Milan);
Defenders: Elisa Bartoli (Roma), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Federica Cafferata (Fiorentina), Maria Luisa Filangeri (Sassuolo), Elena Linari (Roma), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Alice Tortelli (Fiorentina);
Midfielders: Arianna Caruso (Juventus), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus), Aurora Galli (Everton), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Benedetta Glionna (Roma), Giada Greggi (Roma), Martina Rosucci (Juventus), Annamaria Serturini (Roma), Flaminia Simonetti (Inter);
Forwards: Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Agnese Bonfantini (Juventus), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Roma), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Elisa Polli (Inter).