by Cristiana Girelli scored the opener for Italy against Malta, to get the side going early on in the match. Commenting after the match, Girelli praised the team’s performance, while underlining the pride in leading the next generation and relishing every opportunity to wear the Italian shirt.
Leading The Team For The Win
Cristiana Girelli got Italy going with the initial goal against Malta on Friday. It marked her 55th goal in her nation’s colours, before the side completed it with a commanding scoreline in the latter stages.
Captaining the side on the evening, Cristiana Girelli praised her compatriots’ display to grab the victory in front of the home crowd, “I’m happy because the starting eleven doesn’t usually play together, so it wasn’t so easy to find ourselves on the pitch, but I think we did well.”
She continued, “Of course there are always things to improve, but I think that the road that we are on is the right one. We just have to keep fighting to improve, to keep working as we are doing. However, I am happy with the performance, for the ones who scored, the ones who made the first cap. It’s a good night and we must continue to work.”
Indeed the match was one where Benedetta Glionna (Roma) earned her first goal in Italian colours in her first appearance since 2022, while Juventus teammate, Eva Schatzer, and Julia Piga (Milan) made their debut. Angelica Soffia (Milan) was also featuring for the first time their since 2022.
Pride In Wearing The Shirt In Front Of Home Crowds
At 34 years old, Cristiana Girelli is one of the most experienced players in Italy’s team and appears to be enjoying her leadership role within the squad. While she has many appearances (114) and goals to her name, she still relishes every opportunity she earns to play for her nation.
Girelli remarked, “Firstly, I am happy to be in the squad, I don’t take it fore-granted that I am part of the national team. Every time I put on the national team shirt is an emotional moment and I try to give this mentality to the young players who are coming up from the youth teams, that it is not a given that you are playing with the national team. I am just trying to be myself, to be the best I can and enjoy every moment.”
The Azzurre played just their second-ever match at the Tre Fontane Stadium, which is the home of current Serie A holders, AS Roma. Questioned about the turnout for the match, Girelli replied, “Rome is a city who responds very well for the national team and of course it is also due to the Roma club doing well. I think it’s nice to see people coming out, even if the match was played a bit early (18:15) so it is not the normal time. However, it is great to see so many young people coming out. Now we must keep on working.”
Andrea Soncin’s side will head into the friendly against Spain with the confidence of a strong scoreline against Malta. The two nations will play out the friendly in Vicenza, on Tuesday 29th October, at 18:15.
Lead Image: Lara Schembri
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