Italy move up to 13th place in the FIFA rankings
13 December 2024
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
The FIFA Women's World Cup™ trophy, which will be awarded on 20 August in Sydney, lit up Venice despite the rainy day. Many onlookers stopped in Piazza San Marco for a photo with the trophy, displayed in the city after the event that had taken place in the morning at the Aula Magna of the Ateneo Veneto, also in the presence of a delegation of the first team and the women's youth sector orange and green. "I am happy that this trophy has made a stop in Venice, for what the city and the sports associations are doing for sport and women's football in particular" said deputy mayor Andrea Tomaello. "Events such as the World Cup serve to attract young people, boys and girls to take up sporting activity".
Welcoming a delegation from FIFA and the ambassadors Margaret Twomey (Australia) and Jacqueline Frizelle (ambassador from New Zealand) was the secretary general of the FIGC Marco Brunelli: "Women's football is becoming an increasingly central reality in the sporting activity of this country and consequently for the Federation. Hosting the Trophy is truly a source of pride and it is with great pleasure that I greet the ambassadors of the two countries that will host the competition, because Australia and New Zealand are nations that have a great sports culture and a very strong bond with Italy and the Italians, so it is a further source of pleasure and we look forward to being there. The 2019 World Cup was an exciting adventure and a lot has changed since then, for the better. The movement is expanding, the number of female members, coaches, managers and referees has increased. With the spectacle that will take place this summer, we would like even more girls to get more involved in football."
The national team, led by Milena Bertolini, is preparing to play their second consecutive World Cup, after an absence of 20 years. "We cannot wait," said the coach. "To be there in 2019 and to be back is a source of great satisfaction. It will be an amazing experience, both geographically and culturally: we are preparing in great detail, also because we will have to overcome the time difference. The most difficult part, now, is the choice of the squad: the group is certainly larger, with many young players who are coming to the fore. We have to find a balance between the experience of the older players and the enthusiasm of the younger ones. The level is very high, but we want to give everything we have." In the squad four years ago was Ilaria Mauro, today FIGC Legend and present at the Trophy Tour stage: "I only say one thing to the girls: if you have a dream, always believe in it and do not give up."
In Piazza San Marco, as well as at the Ateneo veneto, there was also Venezia FC co-owner Douglas Fay, who said "It is a great honour to represent Italy in this world tour of the trophy", as well as Board Member Ivan Cordoba: "Looking at this trophy, all girls can find the motivation to go as far as possible. All of Italian football and FIFA are working towards this: to make women's football something more and more spectacular."
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