Italy riding a wave of fun, music and joy as England await - ESPN

GENEVA — Italy celebrated their quarterfinal win over Norway like they had won Euro 2025 itself. The late 2-1 win last Wednesday saw the fans and team party into the night as veteran striker Cristiana Girelli — likely at her last tournament at age 35 — netted both goals to see them through to their first semifinal since 1997.

It just had to be her. With over 120 caps and 60 goals spanning a 12-year international career, there was only one story that would be fitting for Italy's history books: the player who had fought the hardest for the sport and dedicated so much to her nation was the match hero.

Italy only allowed female footballers to become fully professional three years ago, having confined them to amateur status — making only a maximum of €30,000 per year — since 1981. But the national team have featured in every Euros edition bar the 1995 tournament (a joint-record 11 times in total), and have progressed so much in a short space of time.

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«It's a dream that becomes reality,» Girelli said after the quarterfinal. «Since we arrived in Switzerland, but also when we started the camp, I felt something special. I saw in the eyes of my teammates something I can't explain in words. We knew it was difficult to reach the semifinal but we all knew we could do it.»

As Italy's players huddled around Girelli after her winning goal, with substitutes rushing towards their adoring captain, a strange sight was also to be seen: manager Andrea Soncin running down the touchline from the dugout to join in.

It was a mark of a boss who is fully integrated with his squad and, since his tenure began in