Her two goals, including a last-gasp winner, sent Italy past Norway and through to the last four of the Euros for the first time since 1997, with the Lionesses up next in Geneva on Tuesday.

And the veteran of 122 caps, whose three goals at the Euros have taken her international tally to 61, says Italy's performances in Switzerland show they are capable of competing with the best.

Girelli told AFP on Saturday this would be her last Euros, but added she was undecided whether to hang around for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Nonetheless, the veteran shared she is relishing in Italy's run to the semis.

"Obviously they (the goals) were important because they won us the match, but I don't really like talking about my own performances, I really believe that we all put in a really good display," said Girelli, speaking to AFP at Italy's training camp near Lucerne.

"Before the match, we all said that the time had come to not just win but also to show what we've been capable of doing in the last two-and-a-half years, which we didn't really do in our early matches at the Euros.

"I'm really pleased that, beyond the result, there was a proper performance against a team which, let's not forget, is really good."

Italy qualified from tough Group B behind world champions Spain after coming into the tournament as potential dark horses, and Girelli is convinced that she and her teammates can give England a bloody nose.

"They're the reigning champions and we have a great respect for them because they've got players who can change the game when they want to," Girelli said. "But we've got this far and we want to keep believing, we don't want to stop here, we don't want to settle for what we already have... we have to believe."

'Courage'

Italy rose to prominence after years in the doldrums at the 2019 World Cup when, led by now-retired icon Sara Gama, the Azzurre reached the quarter-finals.

But things turned sour afterwards and group stage exits at the last Euros and World Cup led to Andrea Soncin replacing Milena Bartolini as coach - a decision taken in August 2023 which has led to a marked improvement.

"We have a lot of faith that we can get a result against any team," said Girelli. "He (Soncin) always tells us to play with courage and to play football because we have the quality to do so, and both the results and performances at the moment show that."

Development of women's football in Italy has lagged behind traditional rivals in the men's game England, Spain, Germany and France, but Girelli is hoping their results this summer can lead to renewed interest. Women's Serie A turned professional in 2022 and no Italian team has ever gone any further than the quarter-finals in the modern Champions League.

During the 2023/24 season, clubs in Italy's 10-team top division averaged over a million euros ($1.2 million) turnover, a 48 percent increase on the previous campaign, while interest has increased from television viewers with the championship broadcast on streaming service DAZN.

"We're a bit behind because since the 2019 World Cup, the results haven't come, and as a result, what we created after the World Cup wasn't built on," said Girelli. "I hope now that with these results we can really do more because what we're seeing in Switzerland is, maybe not unexpected, but something that makes me very proud.

"To see full stadiums, passionate fans and this brilliant atmosphere that we can all feel makes me realise that if you can do something, you can also repeat it. So I hope that is just the beginning of something good and that it can also happen in Italy."

C. Girelli

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