June 26, (THEWILL) – Italy’s women’s national football team will be without veteran captain, Sara Gama, at the upcoming World Cup, as the Juventus star was noticeably absent from the squad’s pre-tournament training camp on Monday.
Gama, a key figure in the national squad, was left out of the initial 32-player list, which will be reduced to 23 following a World Cup warm-up match against Morocco on Saturday. While experiencing a challenging period with a disappointing Euro 2022 campaign and injuries, Gama expressed her disappointment with the decision to exclude her.
Taking to social media, the defender posted: “After being called up and following the required fitness preparation, I found out only three days ago that I wouldn’t be part of the squad.”
Italian coach, Milena Bertolini, addressed the situation during a press conference, stating that the decision was not taken lightly. She cited the emergence of talented young players as a factor in the selection process. Bertolini noted: “There are lots of youngsters who are coming along well and doing good things. I thought long and hard to be certain it was the right decision.”
Meanwhile, Gama expressed her intention to explore the possibility of joining the squad in Australia and New Zealand in a managerial capacity, as she seeks to remain involved in the team’s journey. Italy’s World Cup campaign will commence on July 24 with a match against Argentina.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
