Italy's women's footballers in the European Championship semifinals: "In Italy we can play football – and that also applies to women"

Christiana Girelli was tired—who could blame her? For 87 minutes, the 35-year-old had worn herself out in Italy's attack, scored the 1-0, but above all, put her opponents under pressure countless times with her runs. Girelli had run up and down in the humid, warm air of the Geneva stadium, and now she had also come across one of those opponents in a one-on-one, defender Tuva Hansen. Girelli had fallen on her back and had to receive treatment; Martina Piemonte was already getting ready as a substitute outside, and she came onto the field once more. For one last run-up, one last short pass that initiated an attack. And for a sprint into the penalty area, where probably the most important header of her career was waiting for her.

Girelli has scored 61 goals for the Italian national team, but none was as historic as this header in the 89th minute. As with the 1-0, the assist came from Sofia Cantore, and her dreamy cross flew over all the tall Norwegians, straight to Girelli: A quick header, a flick off the underside of the crossbar, and then it was 2-1. And Italy in the semifinals of a European Championship for the first time in 28 years.

Lea Schüller is efficient and has an outstanding goal-scoring record—yet the FC Bayern striker has barely been integrated into Germany's attacking play at the European Championships. Changing that could be key in the quarterfinals.

"There's something magical about it," Girelli later said of that evening, which had so much significance. From the outset, it was more than just a football match for the Italian women; it was also a historic opportunity to make a statement. To prove to a country that is still a little unfamiliar with Calcio Femminile that there is more than one squadra for which you can sing the anthem: that there are not just Fratelli , but also Sorelle d'Italia . In any case, the words of heroine Girelli after the match now carried enormous weight: "This victory has a deeper meaning," Girelli said: "In Italy we can play football – and that applies to women too."

Anyone who watched this match on Wednesday evening had to agree with Girelli's thesis. The Italians, for the most part, played football in keeping with their national identity: as a collective, they wanted to shape themselves like a modern national team – and no team was better suited than Norway to demonstrate how not to do it.

In Geneva, an Italian team was on display that was greater than the sum of its individual players. Girelli, winger Barbara Bonansea, and defender Elena Linari are all seasoned veterans from Serie A. Director Manuela Giugliano can dictate a game, and assist provider Cantore recently earned a contract in the American league. However, Italy didn't have a world-class player like Ada Hegerberg or a multiple Champions League winner like Caroline Graham Hansen in its starting lineup – these are the players who have represented an outstanding generation from Norway for years. And are mired in a remarkable lack of success.

The Norwegians once again struggled to establish a footballing identity at this European Championship. Instead, there were the now-familiar headlines: Hegerberg, the inconvenient captain, is dividing opinion in her homeland. Before the match against Italy, 20,000 people voted in a poll to bench her. She's also not without controversy within the team, we hear – and in terms of football, they once again garnered criticism in this quarterfinal.

What remains in the memory of this dramatic evening from a Norwegian perspective are few well-executed attacking moments and little strategic football. Italy dominated possession for the first hour of the game, scoring the long-awaited opener in the 50th minute through Girelli, and Italy could have increased their lead shortly thereafter. The fact that Norway eventually came back into the game was due to two oddities. In the 60th minute, Norway were awarded a penalty, which was highly questionable in that Hegerberg was fouled for offside, a fact that both referee Stéphanie Frappart and the VAR ignored. A remarkable incident that only played a minor role because Hegerberg missed, just as he had in the opening match against Switzerland. However, it soon had a defining impact on the game.

Hegerberg took advantage of a communication error between the Italian defense and goalkeeper Laura Giuliani to level the score at 1-1, leaving the Italians in shock for 20 minutes. Most teams competing at this European Championship would have used this period of uncertainty to defeat Italy – but a lethargic, lacking system even allowed themselves to be carried away by time-wasting in the closing stages, presumably to secure extra time.

The plan backfired because the evening's dominant striker still had a header in her despite the late game. And even after being substituted, Christiana Girelli still managed everything in Geneva, her favorite stadium, where she had already scored one of the best goals of the group stage against Spain. While her teammates managed their lead so efficiently that Norway didn't even get possession of the ball again during stoppage time, Girelli, who had left the field on the opposite straight, did an early half lap of honor. She cheered on the small group of traveling Tifosi, waved to the players' families, and had the opportunity to reflect on the many unpleasant memories: the humiliation of leaving the 2022 European Championship as bottom of the group, the undignified elimination against tiny South Africa at the World Cup two years ago. All of that is now behind Italy.

"A demonstration of what this team has endured over all these difficult years," Girelli later called this victory, witnessing the final from the best vantage point. Just as she reached her own bench, Frappart blew the final whistle on the first quarterfinal of the European Championship, marking the realization that a team with a plan will triumph over individual players. And that Italy is now once again a football nation among the top four. At least in the women's competition.