11 September 2018
The wait is almost over for Juventus Women! On Wednesday night at 19:30 CEST, the Bianconere will commence their European journey when they take on Danish opponents Brondby in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Here is what Juventus Women coach, Rita Guarino, and captain, Sara Gama, had to say ahead of their opening match in the competition, which fans can watch live on Juventus TV.
RITA GUARINO
“Building towards Brondby”
“Our objective is simple: to win this double-header against Brondby and reach the next round. The last two months of preparations have been building towards this start to season. Thanks to the friendlies over the summer, we’re in good shape physically. It won’t be easy playing our first competitive match of the season against such strong opposition, but the girls will need to be ready to hit the ground running immediately and focus on the task at hand. They have trained extremely well every single week, as if there was an official match every weekend, so I’m confident going into tomorrow’s contest.
“Martina Rosucci’s absence through injury represents a big loss, both on and off the pitch, as she is a real leader in this group. However, we have other players who can come in and play, providing me with alternative tactical solutions.”
“Closing the gap”
“It’s clear that there's still a gap between the teams in Italy and those competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, especially in terms of their intensity of play. However, the women’s game in this country is on the right track towards closing that gap and our domestic league is becoming more and more competitive.”
SARA GAMA
“Creating history”
“We are about to write a piece of history for this football club and we're fully focused on this completely new challenge that awaits us.
“I have experience of playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League already and I can assure you that these are matches in which you must be on top of your game and fully prepared, as every opponent is extremely competitive at this level.
“We have raised the bar in training and played some international friendly matches to prepare for tomorrow’s test. It helps also that several of the girls have international experience. Each member of our squad brings something to the cause.”
“Squad spirit our main strength”
“The incredible togetherness of this group is a real strong point of ours. The fact that the backbone of our team is made up mainly of players who were here last season allows us to continue our dream that started a year ago. Our team spirit can get us through hard moments in games and that stands for a lot in football.”
