The mantra: “seriousness, passion and organization”
SIENA. In every sports project the nursery is a fundamental department to give continuity and future. The management of the Sienese women’s youth sector has been entrusted to Michela Rodella. The new Juventus entry, a prestigious name in the panorama of women’s football, is presented.
“I stopped playing a few months ago – his first words -: I think I have given a lot to football but I think I have just as much to dare to football that is not practiced. I arrive with a good experience behind me for having played in high-level clubs: for the growth that women’s football is having, I believe that here in Siena there could be the basis for achieving something ambitious and the basis for a project starting from the youth sector ” .
Rodella will be in charge of the Under 15 and Under 12 teams for this season: Siena, by calling a professional of such depth, has shown great ambition and long-term planning. “I got in touch with Luca Bonelli a couple of months ago – explained the Juventus manager -: we found ourselves talking about the project and he proposed this role to me; we confronted each other several times until I decided to accept. It is a great challenge because we are starting from scratch; Siena has decided to invest starting from the youth sector, because it is essential to give girls who cultivate the dream of playing football the opportunity to do so. This is an important city and has an equally large province. It is the first real project of Acn Siena for women and this gives me even more stimuli ”.
A new experience for her too, then. “I will try to make myself available at 360 degrees – he said -, to ensure that things go the right way. There will certainly be many difficulties, especially at the beginning, because, as mentioned, we are starting from scratch. But with the open days and the project in collaboration with schools, many girls have approached this reality. During the year we will then have time and opportunity to organize as many events to approach and excite the young people of the area: the goal is to create a complete youth sector over time and give it continuity “.
So what would Rodella say to a little girl who wants to start playing? “Simply to pursue your dream – he closed -. Unlike 20 years ago, today things have changed a lot, now girls can play football in life. The female has available structures, plants and qualified people; all this did not exist a few years ago and there were many more prejudices. There are still many barriers to break down, but great strides are being made and the results of the Italian Women’s National Team and all the goals achieved since the World Cup are proof of this. Many prestigious Juventus clubs are investing, as in the Italian women’s team, also the reunion of teams at an international level. This sport is based on important values, it is essential that you will never fail even with the advent of professionalism “.
THE CARREER
Michela Rodella is a prominent name in Italian women’s football: she has recently got her boots on after a long career in the top flight and wore prestigious jerseys such as that of Bardolino Verona in the 2006/07 season with which she won the Scudetto and the Italian Cup at just 17 years old. The following season he played in Venice, in Serie A2, a team with which he achieved promotion to Serie A by winning the championship. In 2008 he won the Under 19 European Championship.
After the ‘magical’ summer in the blue jersey, Michela got married with Graphistudio Tavagnacco, a Serie A club to which she remained tied for six consecutive years and with whom she won two Italian Cups in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons; with this shirt Rodella also participated in the Uefa Women Champions League.
After the experience in yellow and blue she landed in Tuscany, first to Florence and then to Fiorentina. In 2016 she returned to the north to wear the AGSM Verona jersey: just a goodbye to Tuscany since in 2017 she decided to drop the category to marry Florentia’s ambitious project and win promotion to Serie A. Rodella defended the colors of Florentia, which later became Florentia San Gimignano, for three championships; at the end of the 2020/21 season he decided to leave football.