Carry on but without captain Sara Gama. The women’s national football team’s journey continues ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Coach Milena Bertolini has called up a group of 32 players: 18 are those confirmed by the first group, including Cernoia, Schatzer and Glionna, plus the others from Rome and Juventus, who this year won the three trophies of the season (Scudetto and Supercoppa Roma) shared, Coppa Italia Juventus). But the caravan will continue their journey without the Juventus player.
The Azzurri meet again today at 11 p.m. in Brunico. First practice tomorrow at 10am. Training sessions for 4 days and then transfer to Ferrara, where the friendly against Morocco is scheduled for Saturday July 1 (18:15, Stadio “Paolo Mazza”, Rai 2). After the friendly, the group is further reduced and meets again in Rome to fly to Auckland the next day, where the national team hosts the first round (debut on July 24 against Argentina). First training session in New Zealand on July 8, two days later the list of 23 players who will take part in the world competition will be officially announced at FIFA.
Milena Bertolini and the Azzurri during a training session
The captain’s bitterness is understandable. In a lengthy post, Sara Gama expressed her disappointment at being excluded from the World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20.
Meanwhile, thousands of fans crossed the Sydney Harbor Bridge 25 days before the World Cup. About 4,000 people attended the event, according to FIFA. The Women’s World Cup, in which 32 teams are taking part, begins on July 20. Hosts Australia meet Ireland for the first time, while New Zealand take on Norway in Auclkand.
FIFA announced that more than one million tickets have been sold for the 64 matches that will take place in the nine participating cities. This number exceeds the total sales of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will mark a “milestone” for football in Australia, according to Rhiannon Martin, head of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. FIFA has clarified that each player participating in the World Cup will earn at least $30,000 (€27,500) and that winners will win $270,000. According to Football Federation Australia chief executive James Johnson, the gap between awards for winners of the men’s and women’s World Cups is “closing”: “We still have work to do over the next four years,” Johnson stressed – but we are very proud to be the World Cup where all this happened.”