23 June 2017
The story of Juventus Women is just over a week old but is already off to a perfect start. The appointment of Rita Guarino, a former Italy international and U17s coach, marked the arrival of a legend of the women's game on the peninsular, a move that spells out the club's ambition to succeed in the coming seasons.
Speaking to Jtv today, Rita had this to say on the dawn of her and Juventus' new adventure in the 2017/18 Women's Serie A:
"PRIDE" AT JUVE CHANCE
"I'm so proud to have been entrusted with this great project by such an important club. Being here is an immense honour.
"The fact that Juventus will now be ploughing its resources into women's football is a great step forward for the game. I have no doubt that this club will have a big impact on the development of the sport."
WOMEN'S GAME ON THE MOVE IN ITALY
"Women's football has made great strides in the last ten years both on a European and global scale. The Italian national side isn't as high in the world rankings (18) as we would like; other countries have really kicked on in the last decade or so and left us behind.
"A lot of investment has gone into the game to give girls the chance to go professional and that has raised the overall level of quality siginificantly.
"One thing that certainly isn't lacking in Italy is talent but to take things to the next stage, you need to be working full-time."
A STELLAR CAREER AS A PLAYER AND COACH
"Playing in Serie A for 15 years was a wonderful experience; it gave me the chance to represent some of the most prestigious clubs in Italy and to compete for trophies and silverware. That desire and winning mentality is the first thing I will be bringing to this new role."
WHAT KIND OF COACH IS RITA GUARINO?
"My two key words are passion and energy. I like my teams, above all, to attack. I kick every ball from the sidelines.
"More than anything, I want my team to play entertaining football and show people just how technically talented they are. In all aspect of my life, I don't rest until the job is done and done properly to the best of my abilities."
JUVENTUS' AMBITIONS
"The minimum you can expect from a Juventus team, whether it be the men's, women's or junior sides, is a very-well assembled squad, packed with some of the best players on the market.
"The history and prestige of this club alone should be enough to motivate anyone to get into and be passionate about this sport. This project won't just be about getting results on the pitch, it also means raising the profile of these girls and turning the spotlight on women's football, which until now has been lacking."
"MY IDOL? ROBERTO BAGGIO."
"His flair, elegance and style are what got me into the game. I admired him for his human qualities too: he never overstepped the mark and was a great ambassador for fairplay and respect for your opponents."
