Italy’s U-17 Women enjoyed a standout UEFA European Championship campaign, where the Azzurrine reached the semi-finals to earn a place at the upcoming World Cup in Morocco.
Viviana Schiavi’s team are now preparing to face hosts Morocco, Brazil and Costa Rica at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™, which will now include 24 nations for the first time.
Ahead of the global showpiece, Schiavi spoke to FIFA about her expectations for the upcoming tournament and the growing prominence of women’s football in Italy.
Viviana Schiavi: It should, without doubt, be regarded as another milestone and an important step in the development of women’s football as a whole. It’s a sign of a growing foundation and a level that is improving every year, supported by the increased focus that the game is now receiving.
It’s a sign of the overall growth of Italian football. In recent years, both the federation and the clubs have committed to building a clear pathway for young female players. This has led to the positive results we saw last season, with both our youth national teams, the U-17s and U-19s, qualifying for their respective World Cups and reaching the semi-finals of their European Championships.
For me personally, it’s enormous, as I’ve been working with the senior women’s national team for the last two years alongside head coach (Andrea) Soncin. I’ve been able to follow the girls’ journey closely, not only during the EURO finals, but also throughout the entire qualification, from Round 1 to Round 2. Beyond being happy with the result, I’m truly delighted because the 2008 age group is one that I have a special connection with. They were the first players I coached back when I was in charge of the U-16s, and we’ve grown together since. I’m extremely proud of the progress they’ve made.
Every time you step onto the pitch for an international match, there’s a special feeling – both emotionally and, of course, in terms of technical development. The opportunity to play at such a high standard, while also achieving excellent results, has given the girls confidence, courage and memories they will surely draw on at the next World Cup.
These are just some of the players worth mentioning. All of our youth teams have raised their level, and the results speak for themselves. Those three are prospects who have already started working with their clubs’ senior sides this season. But in this squad, and more generally across all of Italy’s youth national teams, there are many players who can develop and become key in the future.
Italy–Brazil always carries a meaning of its own. And as a real lover of the game, I’m very excited for it. But it won’t only be the match against Brazil that’s tough: every opponent in the group will be a difficult challenge. Of course, Brazil command particular attention, given the history between our national teams at every level.
Like us, these three teams are growing strongly, with structured pathways now in place to guide their players every step of the way. All of them have shown progress technically, tactically and physically. It will certainly be a difficult group, but we’ll look to approach it in the best possible way by focusing on ourselves.
Dreaming is something that always goes hand in hand with the national team: from the moment you start playing and dream of wearing the Azzurri shirt, until the day you finally put it on. And we saw it this summer, with all the emotions the senior national team stirred during the UEFA Women’s EURO. I believe dreaming should be present in every adventure; it must stay with us and serve as that extra motivation to go as far as possible.
