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After appearing at its first Women’s World Cup in 20 years and advancing to the quarterfinals, Italy has further established itself as a growing power in the women’s game by winning its first six qualifiers on the road to Euro 2021 (likely becoming Euro 2022).
A key player for Le Azzurre throughout has been defender Elisa Bartoli, who appeared in all five of Italy’s World Cup matches and has since scored two goals in Euro qualifying.
The 28-year-old was born in Rome and began her career there before stints with Torres (where she won the 2012-13 Serie A title), Mozzanica and Fiorentina (2016-17 Serie A title). She returned to Rome in 2018 with the establishment of Roma Women, and she’s now the captain of her childhood club.
Just like the old days, with the captain scoring the best #ASRoma goal of the weekend...
Daje Elisa Bartoli, daje @ASRomaWomen! pic.twitter.com/cgfA4bwTfB— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) February 17, 2019
Bartoli recently featured in Roma’s “The Big Interview” segment on its official website, and the veteran defender provided some fascinating insight into her own career and the future of women’s football in Italy. Here are some select questions and answers from the interview, but head over to Roma's website to read the whole thing.
AS Roma: How did the other kids react when you asked to play with them?
Elisa Bartoli: “It wasn’t easy at the start because I was a girl. Once they saw that I could play a bit and that I didn’t give up they changed their minds and realized I could hold my own. The best times were when our courtyard lot played against the kids from the church – with Coca Cola as the prize! We would make jokes about us being the underdogs because we had a girl on our team but it was great fun when we won.
“They always respected me though. It was only people who didn’t know me who would sometimes call me a tom boy or things like that. I never had any problems at Nuova Milvia – I was actually made captain there. They all liked me and I was really happy. It was our opponents and their parents who occasionally created awkward situations. You can’t do much to change ignorant people unfortunately. Children tend to be pure in that sense and they don’t see any difference. It’s the things you hear from the parents that create prejudices and affects the way people behave.”
AS Roma: Getting back to your career, you left Roma aged 21 and joined Sassari Torres.
Bartoli: “Yes, I joined what is still the most successful club in Italy. I had to leave home because Roma CF went bankrupt. Either I stayed in Serie C or I went elsewhere. It wasn’t easy to leave Rome. I moved to Sassari, where I knew no one. It was on the other side of the sea, which meant taking a plane or boat to go home. I cried the first night. I got through it by telling myself to be strong and just get through that first year then see what happened. But then I fell in love with Sardinia and its sea and it changed my life.
"Training in the sun in the afternoon, it was a totally different life – at Roma CF we always trained in the evening. It was a sort of introduction to the professional game. There were other problems though, like wages not coming through, but thankfully my family always helped me.”
AS Roma: What was it like travelling to away games from Sardinia?
Bartoli: “They were… interesting. Apart from the really big games – like against Brescia or Tavagnacco – we would get up at 4 am and take a plane from Alghero at 6:30. When we landed, we’d have a look round the shops at the airport then go straight to the match with no rest, before flying back in the evening. Yet we still managed to win a Scudetto and Super Cup in 2013. That’s when I got my first Italy call-up too.”
AS Roma: How do you feel about being part of a generation that is experiencing sweeping changes in the women’s game?
Bartoli: “What drives it all is passion. You finish training at 10 pm, get home at 11 then get up at 6 am to go to school or do a job at the same time. If I wasn’t so passionate about football, I wouldn’t have left my city and my family. I wouldn’t have accepted being paid for 10 months in three years. What made me keep going was the hugs with my team-mates, the tears in my dad’s eyes when he took the ferry to come to Sassari and see me win the Scudetto. All those sacrifices and all that joy are still a part of me.
"Fortunately it’s easier for girls nowadays. There are better facilities and organisation and the clubs are stronger. Before we had the desire but not many opportunities. The women’s game is getting a bit closer to the men’s now but we mustn’t lose values like self-sacrifice, humility and determination.”
AS Roma: what do you think of the new generation of female players?
Bartoli: “Judging by what I’ve seen from the girls at our football school and the U19s – who are really very good technically and tactically – they’re a lot further ahead than we were at their age. I hope we don’t sacrifice creativity for the sake of physical and tactical aspects, though – like in the men’s game, where physicality is becoming more important and it’s increasingly rare to find flair players like Roberto Baggio, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.”
AS Roma: What are your best memories from the World Cup last year?
Bartoli: “There are lots. The first was when I was substituted against Brazil and I had to walk around the pitch to get to the dugout. Lots of people stood up to applaud me – that was one of the best moments of my life. I didn’t expect it and I’ll never forget it. The end was nice too. We lost to Holland but we realised what we’d achieved. We were one of the best eight teams in the world and the only side with amateur players.
“I also remember when I got the call from my brother-in-law and my parents and they told me about all the expectation there was back in Italy before our matches. It made me think back to what it was like for me as a fan during the men’s World Cup. Another thing I’ll never forget is all the people who wrote to me – young girls, men, old ladies. It’s wonderful to think that we managed to unite the country.”
AS Roma: Getting back to now and this period of isolation, what do you miss about normal life?
Bartoli: “Everything. I miss going to the bar for a coffee. I miss my family, my dog, my friends. I miss playing football, laughing, joking and grafting with my team-mates. I miss the smiles and the looks in other people’s eyes. I miss freedom.”
