A CAPTAIN'S PRIDE

In the words of Valentina Giacinti: “I’m proud of the squad and of our journey. We gave everything, we can walk off with our heads held high. This defeat hurts but we’ll grow and come back stronger next season with even more motivation, ready to strive for new goals”. The captain, who wanted to raise the first trophy in the history of the Rossonere, is full of pride. Penalties are always something of a lottery, and Vale suffered even more because she couldn’t take one herself.

She was in tears, showing us both her great suffering but also her enormous sense of belonging and attachment to the Rossonere shirt. The staff and Coach Pioli, who were present at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia, consoled her and thanked the whole team for their efforts. Vale was, as always, the heart and soul of the group, the warrior among Ganz’s warriors. She is AC Milan’s top scorer with 18 league goals (only second to Girelli in the league scoring charts); she got 5 in the Coppa Italia and one in the Supercoppa Italiana. These kinds of numbers from a striker is something that’s certain - and needed - in Italian football.

The disappointment at having lost the Coppa Italia final remains and will remain, with victory having been a mere 11 yards away. However, on balance, the year was an extraordinary one, with the team reaching the Final of the Cup, and, above all, finishing in second place in Serie A, resulting in qualification for next season’s Champions League. It had never happened before yet now it has; a target conquered with well-earned merit and, specifically, 16 wins and 47 goals in total in only 22 games.

It’s a side that has changed and gotten stronger over time, embracing players of various different nationalities, though always tying them together through the universal language of football on the pitch. Desire, sacrifice, unity, strength and quality: the Rossonere have reached a once-distant goal and laid down the foundations for a new beginning. For now the holidays, though in the summer the 2021/22 season kicks-off, with the date of the first preliminary round of the Women’s Champions League already in mind: 18th August.

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