07 September 2017
Juventus Women’s historic, inaugural campaign started in style with a resounding 13-0 victory over Torino in the first leg of their Coppa Italia tie.
This Saturday, they are back in action for round two against their local rivals (kick-off at 16.30 CEST in Vinovo) before they embark on their debut league season – the dates for which were confirmed today.
Here’s what Juventus Women coach, Rita Guarino, and captain, Sara Gama, had to say ahead of what promises to be an extremely exciting campaign.
RITA GUARINO
“COMPETITIVE CAMPAIGN AWAITS”
“This will be a very competitive season. We’ve high expectations, especially as this year there will be some big, new teams taking part like Juventus, but also Empoli, Sassuolo and Chievo.
“Brescia and Fiorentina will obviously be among the favourites, but there are many tough sides lying in wait, like Pink Bari for example.
“A lot has been said about us in the build-up to this season. Anticipation is high, especially as we’ve created this team in such a short timeframe. We’re ready now, the girls are bedding in well and the league will help us polish our way of playing.
“Now we’re just thinking about the second leg of our Coppa Italia tie against Torino, where I will hand out a few debuts to some of the girls who did not feature in the first leg. Then, we want to start off positively in the league.”
“A PROUD MOMENT IN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL”
“We’re proud to represent an emerging sport like women’s football, which many people will get to know more about thanks to Juventus’ participation, as we’ll be opening the doors to our home matches free of charge.
“It’s not typical in our sport to have so many eyes on us and I believe that us taking part can be the catalyst to reaching the kind of status that this sport has been aiming at for some time now. That said, we need to keep our feet on the ground and push on down the path we’ve set out for ourselves.”
SARA GAMA
“HONOURING OUR STRIPES”
“We must give everything we’ve got for this club. It’s an honour to wear the black and white of Juventus, but also a great responsibility.
“Our fixture list is not the easiest, as we have to take on Brescia and Fiorentina back to back, but it’s a long season and we have to play against everyone in the end anyway.
“We’re dealing with the pressure well. The important thing is to stay calm and approach each challenge with enthusiasm. What is certain is that a big club like Juventus entering women’s football will help to change people’s perception of the game in Italy.”
