An ecstatic Italy coach Andrea Soncin credited past players for paving the way after the Italians clinched their first European championship semifinal berth since 1997 thanks to a 90th-minute header from Cristiana Girelli.
The Italians had been thrilled to make the Euro 2025 quarterfinals, but have gone at least one better after Girelli's double lifted them to a 2-1 win over Norway in Geneva on Wednesday.
"It's something that makes me and us totally proud," a grinning Soncin told RAI. "But history is written by what has been done before, so we must give credit to those who were there in previous years, who, even without these possibilities, have given a boost to the movement. We are reaping the fruits.
"The girls deserve a lot of credit because they have done something exceptional; it is beautiful to discover now that we have entered history, now let's enjoy it fully and in a few minutes we will start thinking about the semifinals."
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It was Italy's first knockout stage win at a major tournament since the 2019 World Cup. And Soncin and his team made the most of the moment. The 46-year-old coach clasped two players' hands and the team did a celebratory run hand-in-hand toward the Italian fans at Stade de Geneve after the final whistle.
"Let's really enjoy this moment. That's what I asked the girls before the match: to enjoy the moment, this incredible atmosphere," he said. "Today was truly electrifying, from the anthem to the celebrations, with all the people. Something unique."
Norway defended poorly for Girelli's second goal which proved lethal considering the Juventus striker scored the most headed goals in Europe's big five leagues this past season.
"This is not just a victory for us, but it truly belongs to everyone, to all of Italian women's football," the 35-year-old Girelli told RAI.
"But truly, this is a victory for the whole group, for 23 girls, but more so for all those who are at home watching the victory of the entire Italian women's movement.
"This is really something incredible for the new generation; being among the top four in Europe is a dream come true."
Girelli now has 61 goals for Italy and the last three all went into the same net at the mountains end of the Stade de Genève stadium.
She also scored one of the goals of the tournament, curling in a 22-meter shot against Portugal.
"We felt at home here," Girelli said of the Swiss city with a big Italian community where the Azzurre will play a third game next week. "Maybe I could ask Juventus to play in this stadium, I'm joking."
Girelli heaped praise on Soncin, who was hired by Italy in late 2023.
"He has an extremely important human value and it is something we have perceived since the first days he arrived," she told RAI.
"He has adapted in a really special way, with a humility that is hard to find in an environment he was not familiar with.
"During training, just looking into his eyes tells us a lot of things. A single glance is enough for us to understand if we are on the right track. There is always a positive energy from him and it boosts our confidence."
Italy will face the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal between England and Sweden in the semis.
Information from Reuters, The Associated Press and ESPN Research was used in this report.