Italy Women`s National Team forward Michela Cambiaghi shared her thoughts from the Azzurre`s training camp in Weggis, Switzerland, just days before the start of her first European Championship.
“I feel like this is somewhat a reward for the sacrifices and the journey I`ve made, but I don`t feel it`s the culmination because usually there`s a decline after that. It`s a stage to aim for something bigger; the goal is to achieve something significant here. Physically, I feel good; I was recovering from an injury, but that`s behind me now. We had a preparation period, and we`re easing the workload, so we`re feeling well,” she began.
“Belgium is a tricky team. Plus, there`s Wuellart, with whom you played at Inter.”
“We know they are a strong team and can cause us difficulties, but we are preparing well. Tessa? She is a very strong player, and she performs even better for the national team; she`s more incisive, and we know we have to watch her very carefully.”
“Who are your favorites to win? And where do you place Italy?”
“England, France, and Spain are the candidates for victory. We are an outsider, and I don`t want to speculate on how far we`ll go, partly because I`m a bit superstitious, but we know we can compete in every match and go far. Of course, I would be thrilled if we reached the final,” she added with a laugh.
“Which role do you feel is most naturally yours? And what do you expect personally?”
“I prefer starting more centrally, but based on the matches and the space available, every game is different, so sometimes it`s more useful for me to start centrally or wide. On a personal level, I`d like to make an impact against national teams that are more advanced than us. Not necessarily by scoring goals against them, but I`d be happy just to make a difference against these teams that started their journey before us and are still ahead.”
“Is there a difference between the eve of a Nations League match and a European Championship match?”
“Since this is my first European Championship, there are some things, even simple ones, that I don`t know, so I`m experiencing them more lightheartedly. I can only imagine what it will be like, especially because I`ve read that there will be many sold-out stadiums, which is exciting because I love playing in full stadiums. For now, I want to keep alive the feeling that I haven`t experienced such an atmosphere before.”
“Do you feel a responsibility being the top scorer under coach Soncin?”
“I don`t feel the responsibility for that; my teammates and the other forwards are also prolific, like Girelli, who won the league`s top scorer title. I always try to come on and do my best, and if I can also make an impact and score, I`m even happier.”
