Azzurre: What happened to Italy at the last Women’s European Championship in 2022?
The Italy Women’s National Team are gearing up to head to Switzerland this summer for the 2025 Women’s’ European Championship, and they will make the short trip north with an unprecedented hunger to show their worth.
Having fallen a long way short of expectations at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Azzurre are under the guidance of Andrea Soncin for the first time at a major tournament this July, and he will be desperate to do better than Milena Bertolini had managed.
Even beyond the disastrous World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Italy had disappointed in the 2022 Women’s European Championship in England as well.
How did Italy do at the 2022 Women’s European Championship?
Drawn in Group D for the 2022 edition of the Euro 2022, the Azzurre would have been quietly optimistic when they found themselves alongside France, Belgium and Iceland.
With France undeniably the strongest team in the group, it was largely seen as a three-way shootout for second place.
France first: A shocking start
Belgium and Iceland drew 1-1 in the first game of the group, gifting Italy with a perfect result, but the Azzurre then kicked off against France later that evening and found themselves five goals behind at half time.
Martina Piemonte scored a consolation goal in the second half, but the damage was long done by then.
Slipping in Manchester against Iceland
The humiliation against France left Italy with two make-or-break matches, and Iceland were up first. On paper, this was the Azzurre's easiest game in Group D.
Inside three minutes, Iceland led through Carolina Vilhjalmsdottir and things looked catastrophic for Bertolini’s Azzurre.
Valentina Bergamaschi levelled just after the hour mark, but that was as good as it got.
All or nothing against Belgium
That meant the final matchday of Group D kicked off with Italy and Belgium each on a point, while Iceland had two.
With Iceland facing France, though, the winner of the Azzurre against the Red Devils in Rotherham were strong favourites to advance.
Back at the scene of the France disaster, the Azzurre froze again. Belgium won 1-0 and advanced, while Iceland’s 1-1 draw with group leaders France left the Azzurre rock bottom of the group with just one point to their name.