Italy Women’s Euro 2022: Objectives & Expectations

On Wednesday in Switzerland, the women’s European European Championships began, in which 16 teams participate. Italy is part of Group B together with Spain, Belgium and Portugal and Thursday 3 July at 6 pm will play against Belgium its first game, which will be broadcast by Rai 2. Spain is the world champion team and probably the strongest of these Europeans, while Belgium, Portugal and Italy are three national teams more or less at the same level, which in all probability will compete for the second place in the group, with which they qualify for the quarterfinals Final.

Female football Italy is unable to overcome the group stage of an international tournament since 2019, when surprisingly reached the quarterfinals in the World Cup in France, considered an important turning point. Going on in a competitive tournament such as the World Cup – in a period in which in Italy the players were not even considered professionals (they became it from the 2022/2023 season) – had in fact positively influenced the perception that the public had of the national team, especially because many had been rather indifferent until that moment to women’s football.

But the most recent performances of Italy in international competitions have been disappointing: after so many years of disinterest in the results of the national team there were high expectations that have been disregarded, and consequently we started talking about it again.

Italy has concluded the 2022 European Championships in the last place of its group, with a single point; The following year he was eliminated by the World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand after losing two out of three games. The sports magazine The Athletic he wrote That Italy is “the greatest football disappointment of recent years”. It is perhaps a little too severe judgment, but it is true that the national team struggled to hold the expectations that had been created around, as if that result of 2019 had raised the bar too high and too quickly.

After the disappointing result at the 2023 World Championships, the coach has been changed: after six years Milena Bertolini has gone and in her place the Federation appointed the former footballer Andrea Soncin, who until then had trained only the male youth of Venice. It was therefore an unexpected choice, given the scarce experience of Soncin (non -existent, on a female level), but with him things began to improve. A few months after his arrival, in the Nations League Italy beat Spain 3-2, and later came first in the qualifying group of the Europeans, who was very competitive, in front of Netherlands, Norway and Finland (which then qualified all three, through a strange format that provides other games and repechage).

In the team there are some footballers who were already at the 2019 World Cup: players of great international experience such as Elena Linari, Rome’s defensive central, and CristianaGirelliwhoamongtheplayerswhostillplayistheonewhoscoredthemostgoalsinthenationalteam(58)TothetwoofthemisalsoaddedBarbaraBonanseaanotherstrikerwithgreatabilitytoexploitthefreespacesfortheinsertionsandskilledindeterminingthespeedofthegameinattackTheperformanceofItalysomehowstilldependontheseplayers

However, the strength of Italy is the midfield. Much revolves around Manuela Giugliano‘s creativity, fundamental in the construction of the game and in the ability to attack with insertions and shots from long distance. Another player to be observed in midfield is Arianna Caruso, the only player of this formation that plays in a foreign championship. His loan to Bayern Munich last season has recently been confirmed with a contract that will hold it in Germany until 2028.

It is a significant thing for Italian football, which has rarely seen his players go to play outside Italy, in championships that have been on average up to a few years ago more competitive and more professionalized. Even more relevant is that Sofia Cantore, another probable striker of the national team, from next season will become the first Italian player to play in the US professional championship.

The footballer of the Italian national team Cristiana Girelli, 3 June 2025 (Dan Istitent/Getty Images)

Italy has played the latest games before the European Championships in the Nations League, the tournament for national teams who for some years has replaced the friendlies and also serves as pre-qualification at the 2027 World Cup. It arrived second in the group behind Sweden and in front of Denmark and Wales, obtaining some rather encouraging results, in particular the wins away 4-1 against Wales and for 3-0 against Denmarkin which he proposed an interesting and various game, alternating different game systems (especially 4-3-3 and 3-4-3). However, he also lost 3-1 against Denmark in the house and 3-2 against Sweden away from home, showing that he is still a little continuous team in performance.

At the European Championships, every result will be important not only for the points in the ranking in group B, crucial to qualify for the following phases, but also to bring enthusiasm and trust between that audience who had fascinated after the 2019 World Cup and who then, disappointed by the subsequent international results, went out again. “We know the responsibility we have,” Soncin said at Rai“Because often these competitions can turn on the hearts of fans”.

On paper the minimum result to be aspired is the passage of turn. With Spain nominated to be most likely the first of the group, the second place in front of Belgium and Portugal would be a good result, not obvious. Portugal is considered one of the most insidious teams, with a very brilliant but some defensive problem, while Belgium is a solid team, which at the last Europeans reached the quarter -finals after winning against Italy in the groups.

The second game of the group, the one against Portugal, will be played on July 7 at 9 pm; And then there will be the one with Spain, on 11 July always at 9 pm. The European final will be on July 27 in Basel.