There was a sense of anticipation in the air for the Women’s National Team before their opening fixture at the Women’s World Cup tomorrow. Australia will be the opposition at the Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes.

In Valenciennes which saw heavy winds and a storm today, there will be over 17,000 fans in attendance along with the FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and CEO Marco Brunelli. Cecilia Salvai will also be watching from the stands after she injured her cruciate two months ago in the big match between Juventus and Fiorentina.

20 years on from the last tournament appearance, Italy’s first aim is to get through the group with places as the Tokyo Olympics also up for grabs. After training at the Stade Christophe Laurent, the team checked out the Stade du Hainaut and Milena Bertolini and Sara Gama attended the press conference. "Australia are a very strong side," said the Coach. "The ranking says so [sixth]. They have great physicality and play intensely along with having big talents like Sam Kerr. In women’s football, physicality and intensity make the difference."

Australia Coach has Ante Milicic has been in charge since last February and he was complimentary of Italy’s attacking qualities, naming Sabatino, Mauro and Bonansea in particular. "It’s nice in a way but disappointing in another because it means they’re not underestimating us. If a team like Australia has specific fears about us it shows that we’ve come a long way. It’s nice to hear about Italian players and that people are taking them into consideration. These girls always train at their best with lots of passion and desire to improve. They deserve all the nice things that are said about them."

Previous friendly defeats suffered by Australia don’t mean much for the Coach: "It’s true that they’ve conceded eight in the last two but they were against the best teams in the world, the USA and the Netherlands who will be stars of the tournament. Tomorrow, it’s important to stay compact and we’ll have to be alert tactically. We always play to win, even against Australia we’ll be going for the three points. Apart from the result, I’m interested in seeing how the girls perform. It’s important to show a good style of football and quality as this is the first way to trust people."

In the current Italy squad, the Sicilian Rosalia Pipitone is the only southern player: "It’s true that that’s not a good thing," added Bertolini. "The team has an important role in promoting women’s football and because of this, it’s important that we play some games in the south in the future. There are lots of talented players there with strong potential."

As is the case for the entire squad, Sara Gama is set for her World Cup debut: "The first match is the one you wait for the most, we’ve been preparing for a long time and we want to start in the tournament that every player dreams of when they’re small. We’re quite calm even if we’re not used to all the attention. Let’s hope that we remain true to our values on the pitch as they represent something important for women’s football. We’re in a good place with our feet on the ground and we’re enjoying the moment."

The captain was also pleased to hear the positive comments from the Australia Coach. "It shows that we’re working well, it’s significant that teams are starting to fear us. We know how much we’ve improved but we need to stay humble against a side that’s sixth in the world ranking. We’re girls who enjoy ourselves on the pitch and fight to honour the shirt until the end. We want to excite the Italian fans and always give 100 per cent on the pitch."

World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Laura Giuliani (Juventus), Chiara Marchitelli (Florentia), Rosalia Pipitone (AS Roma);
Defenders: Elisa Bartoli (AS Roma), Lisa Boattin (Juventus), Laura Fusetti (Milan), Sara Gama (Juventus), Alia Guagni (Fiorentina Women’s), Elena Linari (Atletico Madrid), Linda Tucceri Cimini (Milan);
Midfielders: Valentina Bergamaschi (Milan), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus), Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Milan), Alice Parisi (Fiorentina Women’s), Martina Rosucci (Juventus), Annamaria Serturini (AS Roma);
Forwards: Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina Women’s), Daniela Sabatino (Milan), Stefania Tarenzi (Chievo Verona).

National Team schedule (all times CEST)

Friday 7 June
11:00 – Training at the Stadio Christophe Laurent in Valenciennes (behind closed doors)
14:00 – Lunch followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel.

Saturday 8 June
11:00 CEST – Training at the Stadio Christophe Laurent in Valenciennes (first 15 minutes open to public)
13:30 – Press conference at the Stadio du Hainaut (Head Coach and a player)
14:00 - Walk around

Sunday 9 June
13:00 – Australia vs. Italy (Stadio du Hainaut)
Followed by press conference

Monday 10 June
10:00 – Training at the Stadio Christophe Laurent in Valenciennes (first 15 minutes open to public)
Followed by press commitments
12:30 – Lunch
14:00 – Departure for Reims from Valenciennes
16:15 – Arrival in Reims

Tuesday 11 June
13:00 – Lunch
Followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel
18:00 – Training at the Stadio Jean Bucton (first 15 minutes open to public)

Wednesday 12 June
13:00 – Lunch
Followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel
18:00 – Training at the Stadio Jean Bucton (behind closed doors)

Thursday 13 June
11:00 – Training at the Stadio Jean Bucton (first 15 minutes open to public)
18:30 – Press conference at the Stadio Auguste Delaune (Head Coach and a player)
19:00 - Walkaround

Friday 14 June
18:00 – Jamaica vs. Italy (Stadio Auguste Delaune)
Followed by press conference

Saturday 15 June
10:00 – Training (first 15 minutes open to public)
Followed by press commitments
12:30 – Lunch
14:00 – Bus for Lille
16:45 – Arrival in Lille

Sunday 16 June
12:30 – Lunch
Followed by a press conference with a player at the Hotel
18:00 – Training at Le Stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq (behind closed doors)

Monday 17 June
17:00 – Press conference at the Stadio du Hainaut (Head Coach and a player)
19:00 – Training at Le Stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq (first 15 minutes open to public)

Tuesday 18 June
21:00 – Italy vs. Brasile (Stadio du Hainaut)
Followed by press conference

N.B. The schedule could be subject to changes