Italy on Brink of Euro Final, 3 Years After Players Were Permitted to Turn Pro

UEFA Women’s EURO: Italy on the Brink of Euro Final, 3 Years After Players Were Allowed to Turn Pro

Italy is just one victory away from advancing to the final of the Women’s European Championship. Remarkably, it was only three years ago when players in the country were unable to secure professional contracts. It’s no surprise that veteran captain Cristiana Girelli was overcome with emotion after scoring two goals that led Italy to a 2-1 triumph over Norway last week, marking their first semifinal appearance in the tournament in 28 years.

The Azzurre’s next challenge is against the defending champions, England, on Tuesday in Geneva. “It’s a great joy to be among the top four in Europe, and it is a happiness that we want to share because we know how important it is to bring home results in Italy and especially for the new generations,” Girelli expressed, as she wiped away her tears once more. “Because obviously, we do this for our glory, but there is a much deeper meaning, which we certainly want to convey, which is that in Italy, women can play soccer too.”

Indeed, they can. However, the path to professionalism was a long one, as players were limited to amateur status until 2022, which meant they could earn no more than $32,000 per year before taxes. Benefits like social security contributions, an end-of-career fund, pensions, medical coverage for injuries, and maternity leave seemed like mere fantasies receive reward.

At 35 years old, Girelli and many of her national teammates have witnessed this transformation firsthand; several had to juggle hospitality jobs to pursue their soccer careers. “There were difficult years where we really suffered a lot,” Girelli reflected. The movement to professionalize women’s soccer in Italy gained momentum after the national team’s unexpected quarterfinal run in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Additionally, major clubs such as Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma, and Lazio began investing more in their women’s teams.

While progress has been slower compared to traditional soccer rivals like England, France, and Spain, Italy is beginning to catch up on the international stage okebet168.com bet999 home. Under coach Andrea Soncin, Italy has demonstrated it can compete with top teams, culminating in their first semifinal match in the European tournament since 1997.

“It’s something magical,” Girelli remarked. “But to tell you the truth, I have felt something special in the air since I arrived in Switzerland. Since the coach took charge of this team, I felt something special.”

Though it hasn’t reached a national frenzy yet, 2. ssbet77.com login jlslot login register4 million viewers in Italy—accounting for a 16.2% audience share—tuned in to watch the match against Norway, and those numbers are expected to increase for the semifinals. “We hope this love, this affection, this atmosphere that’s coming to us from Italy doesn’t disappear,” Girelli stated. “I really hope that with all my heart because we struggled to get here. We’ve achieved something amazing, something extraordinary, and however it goes, I really hope it continues to feed this passion, this love for us.”

What are your thoughts on Italy’s impressive run in the UEFA Women’s EURO?