Sara Gama not called up for the World Cup in Australia

uexcept that, to tell the truth, it didn’t only surprise the interested party, but surprised everyone: Sara Gama has not been summoned by coach Milena Bartolini for the Women’s World Cup of the Italian national team in Australia starting in less than a month. A bitter disappointment both for the girls of Italy who will not have their captain in the team, and for the fans of the footballer: in fact, what led the CT to take this decision has not yet been disclosed, an explanation that certainly will give at the press conference.

Women's football: the players of the national team to the girls:

Sara Gama is out: she won’t leave for the World Cup

Moreover, it should be remembered that the captain of the Azzurri as well as of Juventus has been quite at a standstill in recent months due to a bad knee and has seen the pitch again and played official matches, including the final of the Coppa Italia, only in the last period. Who knows if this could not have led to the exclusion. Certainly, however, against the great regret must also fight this true talent and symbol of Italian women’s football who, however, rightly, does not want to open cases and controversies.

Sara Gama during the qualification for the 2021 European Women’s Football Championship at the Renzo Barbera Stadium (Photo Davide Anastasi/LaPresse
Palermo)

A choice of CT difficult to accept

And who for this reason entrusted her long outburst to Instagram: «I was pre-called up and I carried out the physical preparation, like my teammates, received from the national team staff to maintain the optimal condition I had reached in the last six months of I work with my club. And only later did I learn that I won’t be part of the squad that will leave for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. I have always had great respect for roles and, as a professional, I accept the choice of the technical commissioner. Despite this, the bitterness of these difficult hours remains for the ways and times with which this decision was communicated to me».

A constant job that has lasted for 18 years

Gama, however, while resigning himself to the technical decision, can’t help but underline the efforts made to get where he has arrived. «I gave everything in the eighteen years I spent in the national team. As captain I have had moments of great joy and there have also been moments of difficulty, but I have always gone through them with the pride of representing my country. I have never backed down, not even in the face of physical problems that could have discouraged me, like those who unfortunately conditioned me at the last European Championship» she recalls bitterly.

Great efforts both on and off the pitch

And again: «I have always tried to be an example… I fought together with my companions and with anyone who has supported us over the years to try to see equal rights and dignity recognized for the entire women’s football movement in our country. With this baggage and with this spirit, I prepared myself to be able to make my last contribution as captain to the national team. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.”

To conclude: «I’m still proud of the growth path and the results achieved on and off the pitch. AND I will continue to spend myself personally for the good of this shirt, of the sport to which I have dedicated all of myself and for the growth of our movement. Best of luck to my teammates with whom we wrote the history of this sport».

Sara Gama the example for many girls

The blue captain was one of the architects of the growth of women’s football and of the whole movement, as she herself recalls. She defender in Juventus Women and in the Italian women’s football team, as well as the first to be elected as vice president of the Italian Footballers’ Association, today it represents the example for many girls who are approaching the world of football. But she is also a symbol of everyday life thanks to the ideals she is instilling regarding female empowerment in sport and in daily life.

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