After years of struggle with Le Azzurre, the 35-year-old Cristiana Girelli is the star of an Italian team that writes history at Euro 2025. The player who sent Italy to the semi-finals with a brace against Norway, now dreams of beating England, the defending champion, the defender, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant, the defendant.
If she is skilled for the goal, Girelli is just as skilled behind the lens.
On July 17, just as Italy had qualified for the first time in 28 years for the semi-final of the UEFA European Championship, the Italian captain, who scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Norway, took the camera to take a historical photo: that of the return of the Nazionale to the Limelight.
And the 35-year-old Juventus striker, who has already made four performances at a UEFA-Euro, had long waited to do exactly that.
“We have achieved something magical,” she enthusiastically at the press conference after receiving her second player from the Match Award of the tournament. “It's great to be in the top four in Europe.”
Italy certainly owes her a gratitude because she scored three out of five goals of the Nazionale during the tournament.
Girelli had already left her mark by netting in the group stage against Portugal and she repeated the performance against Norway with a few clinical finishes.
After 35 years and 84 days, her display with two goals against Norway scores her the oldest player to score a brace in the euro or the World Cup, which surpasses Ada Hegerberg.
Her status as Doyenne of an Italian team rejuvenated by the arrival of Andrea Soncin has also earned her the nickname “Mother” in the team, or “Cheffe”, more to do with her love of cooking.
Above all, she is an example of self -sacrifice for her teammates, who grew up in the Italian women's football that is far removed from how strong it is now.
Keep in top
“Women's football has developed in all aspects, and with it the requirements for us, especially in physical terms,” Girelli summarizes.
“At Juventus, although I was already 28 when I arrived, I can say that I have become an athlete. Today I take care of every detail so that I am in the best possible state on the competition day.
“The more the years pass, the harder you have to push to stay in good condition to the accelerator pedal. Every day I take the opportunity to work on my body.”
She also works on her head capacity. Against Norway, the striker won seven of the eight air matches.
“To be honest, I can't remember whether my head was one of my strengths when I was a child. I think I developed this quality over the years because I only started playing closer to the goal when I arrived in Juventus,” says Girelli.
“I cross and girelli scores, often with her head. When I see her in the box, I only know that I have to do the ball, and 90% of the time she will put it in the net,” adds Sofia Cantore, who provided the two assists for Girelli's Brace against Norway.
“There are not many as she was in the box,” said the Italian coach, who believes that his number 10 is a “player of world class”.
A title dream to bring Italy to the next level
In Italy, the 35-year-old has nothing left to prove and has the most impressive women's record in regional football.
Girelli has 10 Series A titles with Verona, Brescia and then Juventus, nine Italian cups with the same clubs, a Player of the Year Award in 2020, 122 caps and 61 goals with the Nazionale, the second most copied player and third top scorer in the history of the national team.
She was even admitted to the Hall of Fame of Italian football in 2022 and joined Alessandro del Piero, her idol.
Girelli grew up with posters of the World Cup champion 2006 in her bedroom and now plays before his eyes.
“He always watches us,” she trusted for Tuesday's semi -final against England. “He is a great man and has wished us happiness more than once.”
The captain hopes to join the legendary former Juventus number 10 on the stage of Europe once and for all. An achievement that would be unprecedented, since Italy never did better than two finals, in 1993 and 1997.
“We are that far and we want to keep believing, we don't want to stop, we don't want to be satisfied with what we already have … We are probably convinced that we can get a result against every team.”
Girelli is also aware that a victory against the ruling European champions would bring Italian women's football to a new level: “Something is happening in Switzerland, I am proud to see the stadiums and people passionately, I hope this is just the start of something that can also happen in Italy.”