The Old Lady’s new team
Juventus Women join Serie A
“The Old Lady” finally has a ladies’ team and their debut campaign looks like being one of the stories of the new season. Juventus have been known as “La Vecchia Signora” since the 1930s, having been founded in 1897, but only this season have they had a female team.
In a surprise move, Juve bought the licence of established women’s Serie A side Cuneo in the summer and moved the team 50 miles to Turin, bringing in Rita Guarino – an ex-Italy international and then coach of the Italian women’s under-17s – to re-build the team.
Guarino has been very active, recruiting a core of players from the 2014 and 2016 champions Brescia, and adding a sprinkling of overseas talent such as seasoned internationals Ingvild Isaksen of Norway and Finland’s Tuija Hyyrynen, along with some promising youngsters. These include Katie Zelem, who came through the youth ranks at Manchester United but then left for Liverpool as United do not have an adult female team.
Guarino’s side play their home games at Juventus’ Vinovo training complex and began with an Italian Cup derby against Torino, who are long-established but not linked with the men’s team of the same name and play in the regional Serie B. Juventus demonstrated the huge gulf in class by winning 21-0 on aggregate.
Brescia, who are independent, and current champions Fiorentina, who are in their third season of being backed by the men’s team and have signed 18-year-old Ellie Brazil from Birmingham City, will be Juve’s main rivals for the Serie A title.
Milena Bertolini, who took over from Antonio Cabrini as national coach after Euro 2017, believes Juventus’ involvement in the women’s game should be of great significance, stating: “Juventus is a new team but very important for the women’s football movement. We can only thank the for their push into women’s football.”
Bertolini, who named six Juventus players in her first national squad, adds: “There has been more talk in the media in the past two months than in the last few years and the fact that a major club like Juventus has taken this opportunity to be at the forefront will surely push the entire movement on.
“In the past, conditions have been absent for girls to develop here in Italy. I think that may change.”
Long term, Juventus are clearly aiming to make an impact in Europe, but they have some ground to cover to catch up with current champions Lyon. The French side have strengthened again this summer, bringing in Shanice Van de Sanden, one of the stars of the Dutch Euro 2017 title win from Liverpool, and Lucy Bronze, the impressive England and Manchester City defender.
Lyon will, however, be without Caroline Seger, who has returned to Sweden, and strikers Pauline Bremer of Germany, who was traded in part-exchange for Bronze, and USA superstar Alex Morgan. But there is still plenty of attacking excellence left, the more so with Ada Hegerberg “taking a break” from representing Norway due to dissatisfaction with the Norwegian FA’s support of the women’s team. There is also growing speculation that Morgan will ultimately be replaced by another American, Morgan Brian, who was the subject of a shock recent move from Houston Dash to Chicago Red Stars.
Lyon’s strongest challengers, both at home and abroad, could be Montpellier, who were last season’s Ligue 1 runnersup. Despite being absent from Europe this season, Paris Saint-Germain should also be in the mix domestically, having retained most of their squad and added Jenni Hermoso from Barcelona, with Natasa Andonova going the other way.
Andonova was one of several Barca recruits, along with Lieke Martens, the newly crowned Euro 2017 Player of the Tournament and UEFA Player of the Year, and England’s Toni Duggan. Runners-up to Atletico Madrid last season, they have also signed French midfielder Elise Bussaglia from Wolsburg and Atletico defender Mapi Leon.
UEFA’s odd seeding process meant Atletico faced German champions Wolfsburg in the Champions League round of 32, while Frauen Bundesliga runners-up Bayern Munich met Chelsea.
The English side, winners of the interim Spring Series, went into the first winter FA Women’s Super League with a new home, Kingsmeadow in Surrey, shared with third-tier men’s team AFC Wimbledon but now owned by Chelsea. Coach Emma Hayes added to her spring
“The fact that a major club like Juventus has taken this opportunity to be at the forefront will surely push the entire movement on” Italy coach Milena Bertolini on Juve starting a women’s team
recruitment by bringing in Swedish defender Magdalena Eriksson and Norway’s Maria Thorisdottir.
The most spectacular signing was made by Arsenal, who are seeking a first title since 2012. Vivianne Miedema joined from Bayern before Euro 2017, but two goals in the Final have added to her lustre. The Gunners also recruited Sweden’s Jessica Samuelsson from Linkopings and Lisa Evans of Scotland from Bayern, while Josephine Henning returned from Lyon.
Manchester City, winners of last summer’s WSL, have trimmed their squad but that should give more space to young talent such as Georgia Stanway and Kiera Walsh.
Everton, who were Arsenal’s main challengers a decade ago, are back in the top flight and have marked their return by moving towards full-time status. Tottenham Hotspur, promoted into WSL 2 are also showing signs of taking the women’s game seriously.
That will please the FA as yet another re-vamp is on the way, with proposals to make inclusion in WSL dependent on being full-time and running an academy. This could be brought in as early as next season, which risks making relegation and promotion this season irrelevant.
Current WSL 1 clubs such as Sunderland, who have downgraded their women’s team by moving them out of the men’s club’s training complex, are likely to struggle to fulfil such requirements, as are Yeovil Town.