Italy's Euro 2025 squad has been announced.
The Azzrre's group are not one of the stronger Euro 2025 squads and are not among the favourites but if they overcome the odds this year they would make history as a team: an Italian women's side has never won the Euros before and so would be etching their name on the trophy for the first time.
Andrea Soncin took over in the aftermath of the World Cup debacle two years ago. Steady improvement has followed, with Italy competitive even against higher-ranked Sweden and the Netherlands. The 48-year-old ex-Venezia caretaker demands energy.
They have the stars in their ranks to achieve that goal. Italy may be all about the sum, not the individual parts, but Lisa Boattin is the defensive machine’s essential cog. The 28-year-old Juventus left-back is composed on the ball and tough to beat in one-on-ones. She also previously skippered her country at youth level.
This side does find themselves in a difficult group, though World champions and favourites Spain, Portugal and Belgium await them in the initial stages of the competition.
To progress from the group stage would mean Italy go one better than in 2022 where they crashed out after losing to Belgium and France and drawing against Iceland.
European finalists in 1993 and 1997, Italy have rarely hit similar heights but optimism abounds after qualifying above ex-winners the Netherlands and Norway. Two years on from an operatic tragedy of a World Cup group-stage elimination thanks to an injury-time South Africa strike, Le Azzurre are quietly confident of a first European Championship knockout encounter since 2013.
Italy Women's Euros squad
Italy Women Euro 2025 squad: the last Italian squad
The squad announced to face Sweden and Wales in a Women's Nations League double header was as follows:
- GK: Rachele Baldi (Inter Milan)
- GK: Francesca Durante (Fiorentina)
- GK: Laura Giuliani (AC Milan)
- DF: Lisa Boattin (Juventus)
- DF: Lucia Di Guglielmo (Roma)
- DF: Martina Lenzini (Juventus)
- DF: Elena Linari (Roma)
- DF: Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio)
- DF: Julie Piga (AC Milan)
- DF: Cecilia Salvai (Juventus)
- MF: Arianna Caruso (Bayern Munich)
- MF: Manuela Giugliano (Roma)
- MF: Eleonora Goldoni (Lazio)
- MF: Giada Greggi (Roma)
- MF: Eva Schatzer (Juventus)
- MF: Annamaria Serturini (Inter Milan)
- MF: Emma Severini (Fiorentina)
- FW: Chiara Beccari (Juventus)
- FW: Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
- FW: Michela Cambiaghi (Inter Milan)
- FW: Sofia Cantore (Juventus)
- FW: Cristiana Girelli (Juventus)
- FW: Martina Piemonte (Lazio)
Predicted line-up
4-2-3-1: Giuliani; Di Guglielmo, Lenzini, Linari, Boattin; Severini, Giugliano; Cantore, Caruso, Beccari; Giacinti
Italy fixtures and results
Euro 2025 qualifying
April 5 2024: Italy 2-0 Netherlands, San Vito, Cosenza, Italy
April 9 2024: Finland 2-1 Italy, Helsinki Football Stadium, Helsinki, Iceland
May 31 2024: Norway 0-0 Italy, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
June 2 2024: Italy 1-1 Norway, Paolo Mazza, Ferrara, Italy
July 12 2024: Netherlands 0-0 Italy, Fortuna Sittard Stadion, Sittard, Netherlands
July 16 2024: Italy 4-0 Finland, Druso, Bolzano, Italy
Friendlies
October 25 2024: Italy 5-0 Malta, Stadio Tre Fontane, Rome, Italy
October 29 2024: Italy 1-1 Spain, Romeo Menti di Vicenza, Vicenza, Italy
December 2 2024: Germany 1-2 Italy, Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Italy
Women's Nations League
February 21 2025: Italy 1-0 Wales, Brianteo, Monza, Italy
February 25 2025: Italy 1-3 Denmark, Stadium Alberto Picco, La Spezia, Italy
April 4 2025: Sweden 3-2 Italy, Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden
April 8 2025: Denmark 0-3 Italy, Arena Herning, Herning, Denmark
May 30 2025: Italy 0-0 Sweden, Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy
June 3 2025: Wales 1-4 Italy, Swansea Stadium, Swansea, Wales
Euro 2025
July 3 2025: Belgium vs Italy, Stade de Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland
July 7 2025: Portugal vs Italy, Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
July 11 2025: Italy vs Spain, Stadion Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland
Everything you need to know about Italy
LESSON FROM QUALIFYING
Embrace the discipline. For years, the women’s side haven’t lived up to the stereotype of mean Italian defences and catenaccio, but leaking three World Cup goals to minnows South Africa has brought a rethink. Two clean sheets against the Dutch and one against Norway helped to secure top spot with just three goals shipped. Their inherent flakiness is a thing of the past.
1984 SF
1987 SF
1989 SF
1991 SF
1993 Finalists
1995 DNQ
1997 Finalists
2001 Group
2005 Group
2009 QF
2013 QF
2017 Group
2022 Group
STRENGTHS
Chemistry – and not just because defensive totem Lucia Di Guglielmo has a degree in it. Players from Serie A top three Juventus, Inter and Roma dominate the squad and that familiarity bodes well.
WEAKNESSES
Goals. Michela Cambiaghi of Inter found the net against Sweden and Denmark in the Nations League and provides a new option, but Valentina Giacinti and Cristiana Girelli are now past the peak of their powers. April’s 3-0 defeat of Denmark was a step forward, but only midfielder Manuela Giugliano scored more than one in qualifying.
MOST LIKELY TO…
Create stellar atmospheres as fans swarm the border into Switzerland. Plus, that national anthem…
LEAST LIKELY TO….
Be tactically predictable. They flit between a back four and a 3-5-2depending on how many centre-forwards Andrea Soncin deploys.
WHAT THEY HOPE WILL HAPPEN
A rare run to the knockouts for just the third time since 1997.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN
Sandwiched between a win over Belgium and defeat to Spain, the clash with Portugal feels pivotal.
Sweden manager: Andrea Soncin
Andrea Soncin was appointed boss in September 2023, after the World Cup where the team crashed out in the group stage. Since then Italy have endured inconsistent form but there have been glimpses of what they can achieve, particularly in their 1-1 draw against Spain.
The Italy job is also Soncin's first appointment in international football. He previously has been a coach for Venezia, where he was caretaker boss twice.
He has said about the group Italy has been drawn in: "Awaiting us is a very competitive group. We are very focused on our path, aware that in these competitions all the opponents are very strong and organised."
Italy's star player
Lisa Boattin
Juventus defender Lisa Boattin is closing in on 50 caps for Italy after making her debut back in 2016. While she is an impressive, solid defender for her side, a goal she scored in 2021 gave the team a slice of history.
That goal, which was her first at international level, sealed a 2-0 win over Romania and booked Italy direct qualification to the World Cup. It was the first time Italy's women's team had secured direct qualification.
Boattin is set to play a vital role in a huge 2025 for the team and her leadership skills - having captaining Italy's youth teams - should shine through.
