The technical staff coordinated by Giovanni Lucchesi has issued the call-ups for the 12 Azzurre that will be playingWomen’s U16 European Championship.
Yesterday the Azzurre moved to Izmir (Turkey), the debut is scheduled for August 11 at 13:00 against Israel, on Saturday it will always be repeated at 13:00 against Croatia: on August 13 at 20:30 the last game of the first phase against Poland.
The words of coach Lucchesi: “Let’s start again with a new group that has its own story. This story shows us objectively that we have important gaps: between accidents and renunciations, which above all call into question the protection of girls, especially in a delicate age like this. History also tells us that this group suffered the most from the Covid-related halt. Lost seasons that we are now to rebuild: with the power of work. Allow me to remind you of a nice concept by Coach Mazzon on the “Pact”. I quote it and edit it: because it is with these girls, who are so young and who are having their first international experience, that the pact is forged between us coaches, because above all it is our duty to build their future and their competitiveness and performance habits. And this is the noblest way of honoring the great work of coaches and clubs and their sacrifices. Bringing back better athletes: That is the goal. And then, as Poz puts it: For magic and for the blue shirt, we must and, above all, “want” the impossible. During the preparation we faced teams that pulled us through the grid and made us understand what Europe means: physical, technical and motor parameters that are simply different from our usual habits. It is up to all of us to approach these parameters and make the best use of them by setting goals day by day, game by game.”
The European youth formula provides that all teams qualify for the round of 16 and are eliminated directly from this point on. The Azzurre meet a team from Group D, one between Spain, Belgium, Greece and Slovenia.
All games will be streamed live on the YouTube channel FIBA.
In Matosinhos (Portugal) in 2022, France beat Spain in the final, the Azzurri’s most recent triumph in 2018 in Kaunas with the 2002 group, then coached by Giovanni Lucchesi. A year before Bronze at Bourges which earned him qualification for the World Cup.
