Serie A Women Athora, the mixed zone of Como Women-Milan

Veronica Bernardi’s comments

“We secured three important points and I’m absolutely delighted. However, I don’t think this has happened by chance. Throughout the week, the coach and his staff instil in us that competitive edge, that desire to win, to fight for every ball and to get to every challenge ahead of our opponents. I’m very happy with my performance and with the goal. It’s a pleasure to step onto the pitch alongside my teammates because I know they will always do everything they can to help me. Even when I make a mistake or something doesn’t go as planned, I know they will always be there to support me and give me a helping hand. That kind of support cannot be taken for granted within a team, and the coaching staff have done a fantastic job of helping us build this team spirit. Our recent performances have all been positive, and in our last two matches we haven’t conceded a goal either. That’s no coincidence. We work towards this every week, and the staff constantly emphasise the importance of not giving anything away. They make us understand that we must not concede a goal even if the goal were only two metres wide, let alone in a match on Sunday.”

On the team’s mentality: “Every member of the team, every one of my teammates, tries to improve every day, before or after training, always looking to add something more to their game. This is certainly something the coaching staff emphasise, but above all, it comes from the determination and commitment of every player to keep growing and improving. When everyone works with this mentality, it is impossible for it not to show on the pitch. As for the goal, I can’t put into words just how happy I am. It’s a joy that simply cannot be described.”

Stefano Grilli’s analysis

“This victory is further proof of the growth of the group and the team, which we have already been seeing since the start of the season. We won an important match against a strong side, and for this very reason, our players deserve even greater praise. In my opinion, they put in an outstanding performance. We are certainly preparing in the best possible way, but not just for this particular match: we prepare ourselves for every kind of challenge. The players are good at trusting us and putting their faith in us, and we make everything we have available to them, always giving our very best. This is a fantastic group, including in terms of their work ethic. They are always focused, fully committed and leave nothing to chance.”