20 April 2019
It had all the makings of a classic: two top football teams, the stadium and a sold-out crowd. A cinematic showpiece was in store. The only difference? It would be women who would take to the field for the very first time… After playing host to 201 games for the Juventus First Team, the Allianz Stadium provided the perfect backdrop for the Bianconere to showcase their quality. And that is exactly what they did.
The fantastic occasion wasn’t just about the two teams meeting at the stadium. Prior to the game, women’s football matches in Italy hadn’t received high attendances, and Juventus made it a personal mission to attract to the masses.
A vision was created: The Première Trailer. A video which would feature the players and coach, where they discussed the importance of the game. The video was
This was followed up by a behind-the-scenes gallery, top five women’s goals, exclusive interviews and much more. The game was treated no different to that of a First Team match, and the colourful and original coverage caught the attention of the general public, who were itching for their weekly dose of football during the international break.
On that sunny Sunday afternoon in March, Guarino’s ladies took to the field side-by-side against Fiorentina, a point separating them in what would, undoubtedly, be a Scudetto-decider. For a brief moment, when Sara Gama led her teammates out of the tunnel, time stood still for the hosts, as the girls took in an electric atmosphere of 39 000 fans waving their zebra striped flags to the beat of “Juve. Storia di un grande amore.”
The emotions that tinged the eyes of Martina Rosucci (who sat with her teammates on the bench despite being injured) and her teammates at kick-off was just a drop in an ocean of sensations that were felt that day: pride, excitement, admiration, enjoyment.
Sofie Pedersen’s goal in the 85th minute was the only thing separating the two teams on the day, securing a vital victory in the final stretch to the Bianconere’s second successive Scudetto.
The final result may still have counted for only three points, but the whole occasion, the Première, was a massive win for women’s football both inside and outside of Italy. 24 March would go down in the history books.
Juventus Women are #Here2Stay.
