Full house for the Azzurre pink football at the debut with France

The tournament will showcase a growing movement for practitioners and interest Spaniard Putellas, one of the most anticipated stars, at risk due to a serious injury

Torino

The curtain rises on the women’s European Championship: the charm of Old Trafford, the promises of the host England, the hopes of Austria very distant in the ranking. We start tonight with a year of delay – UEFA, after the postponements due to Covid, wanted to avoid overlaps with the men’s Euro and the Olympic Games – and without Russia excluded after the war attack on Ukraine and replaced by Portugal: sixteen teams divided into four groups, eight cities involved, the collected passion of small stadiums and the austerity of two cathedrals: the home of Manchester United for the ribbon cutting and Wembley on 31 July for the final.

According to the bookmakers, Spain is the favorite, actually rich in talent but not used to the pressures of big events and in strong apprehension about the conditions of the Golden Ball Alexia Putellas who just yesterday in training got a sprained left knee . More chances have the England redesigned by the coach Sarina Wiegman, winner of the last edition with the Netherlands; Germany which cannot field the top Dzsenifer Marozsan (broken crusader) and Melanie Leupolz, pregnant, but supreme tradition (8 titles won) and quality; Sweden which appears to be in decline but retains the strongest staff on paper; reigning Dutch champion and world finalist. Just behind Corinne Diacre’s France, a team of undisputed strength but undermined by too many controversies, which will baptize Italy on Sunday 10 at the New York Stadium in Rotherham. The blue will seek confirmation after the fairytale of the World Cup which represented a watershed in the history of the movement, propagating unknown emotions and positively transforming the image of the players, capturing new sympathies and gaining experience, giving the final push to achieve the desired professionalism. They are not among the favorites – apart from the pedigree, the iron group with Le Bleus, Iceland and Belgium affects – but they can and still want to amaze: “Women’s football continues to call for interests and investments – the thought confided by the coach Milena Bertolini in Mirror -, the World Cup has shifted attention and now there is curiosity to understand where we are. The Europeans are a promise. There are no obvious winners, I see a very high range, a medium and a low one: we are in the average tending to the high, we will see how it goes, but we will still be able to excite ». «We are optimistic for the spot that the girls will be able to give to the Italian sports movement – the words of the FIGC president Gabriele Gravina -. This will be the most important result, then we will see the field. We want to continue growing. Professionalism is a civilization conquest of our world and also of the country ».

Tonight the event starts, Sunday blue vernissage: the preparation proceeds at the Accrington Stanley Community Trust Sports Hub in Blackburn, headquarters for the entire tournament, while for the first time in the final phase of a women’s tournament, confirming the growing interest of fans and media (Rai and Sky will cover the event), the FIGC will open the doors of Casa Azzurri: an appointment in the heart of Manchester for the three group matches. –