“The first round of fixtures was a positive one for us, especially in terms of the way we’ve played and the integration of new players. I’ve seen a more confident team, a team more aware of its own abilities, and a more determined team. It’s clear that we’re only at the beginning, and our goal for the second part of the season is to continue along this path. It will become fundamental to focus on the individual growth of the girls.”
With the above words, Joe Montemurro opened his pre-Pomigliano interview, looking ahead to Saturday’s game in Biella which marks the beginning of the second round of fixtures in the regular Serie A season, and also sees the Bianconere return after the most recent international window.
“First of all, I want to congratulate all the girls returning from their national teams, for the journey they’ve taken that has taken them into their respective international squads. It’s clear that there has been huge growth in all of the European nations and this is great news. Almost all of our players have returned in high spirits because of the results achieved, and the focus immediately switched to Juventus once they got back to Vinovo.”
A lot of goals, but not only…
“A lot of positives have come from the international break, but of course there’s the issue of Paulina Nystrom’s injury. Pro had a problem that can happen to footballers, it can happen but we know her and I’m sure she’ll come back stronger and more determined than before.
“Sticking with the national teams, I want to congratulate Lineth [Beerensteyn] who, after hitting 50 Juventus appearances, celebrated 100 games with Netherlands. This is more than deserved for Lineth, as she is a top player and has proven it both for Juventus and for her national team.
“Lastly, I want to congratulate Arianna [Caruso], Julia [Grosso] and Lisa [Boattin] for being included in the Top XI of the 2022/23 Serie A season, and to Barbara [Bonansea], Martina [Rosucci] and Cecilia [Salvai] for the award they received from CONI. I’m not surprised because I know how this team works, so it’s normal for me to see this. These girls have a dedication that is beyond the norm, and these awards are an extra incentive to keep growing. I’m really proud of this team.”
The group are in good shape now and looking forward to getting back on the pitch. Now, the focus is fully set on Pomigliano, who visit Biella with their own confidence sky high after picking up four points in their last two games, and beating Napoli in their recent derby. Kick off is at 15:00 CET on Saturday.
“We’ll try to start the second round with a win. We’ll look to play our own game, impose ourselves, and we’ll keep working in this direction in training. We have to keep the ball more than our opponents so that we can create as many chances as possible.
“On Pomigliano, they have given us a hard time before, and they’re very good in transition, so we’ll have to manage things defensively in the best way possible. We’ll need to be careful, because they’ve got four points from their last two, and they’ll come to Biella full of confidence.”