Euro 2022 winner Alessia Russo on making history, inspiring a generation and that viral backheel goal at the World Cup
After the euphoria of winning the World Cup, and the excitement and passion that were in the air at the final whistle of our final qualifier in San Nenotur, our players and staff looked down on the pitch and we all just stood around, trying to take it all in.
We knew something special had happened at exactly the right time.
The match was being played behind closed doors, so we were in the same situation as everyone else, in absolute awe. There was an air of celebration, but also of calm.
It has been hard to put into words exactly how that feeling has been for me, because I have loved these games for so long and I have to do something that really makes you feel that moment again.
It still makes me smile the way I remember every time I walk on to that pitch and it all starts from there.
When I first started taking to the field at the age of seven for Italy, I was so nervous, so excited that I couldn’t find my feet on to the pitch. That was my first World Cup and I remember looking up to the sky and thinking to myself: ‘this is the best stadium in the world, this is the best place in the world to play and I want to do this every time’.
I want to bring the same feeling to the fans in Rome. It’s a big step from making history in the World Cup, to being part of something even bigger.
As the memories continue to grow I’ve tried to think of some ways to pass the love for our fans along to them.
We have a lot of work to do, but if we continue to build that culture, I feel like we can make this dream a reality.
It’s been a dream of mine to play in a World Cup tournament and I feel like a special part of Italy’s history.
We’re working hard to bring the Italy of old to life. We have our World Cup and the Champions League, we have the FIFA rankings, we have the Serie A title and so many people have invested in our project.
There were certain aspects that weren’t as clear with us because I