Lazio Women coach Carolina Morace recounted her career and the highlights earlier today.
Speaking in an interview with French media outlet Serie A Mon Amour today, the 57-year-old Italian coach first spoke about her initial desire to play football.
I don’t remember my first time, but I always wanted to play. I lived in Venice. After school, all the children who lived in the neighborhood would go to this field and we would play for three to four hours a day.
One day, a girls’ team came to train and my father told me if I wanted to train with them, I could. I was 11 years old and I wasn’t afraid, because I wanted to play. I didn’t know women played, I thought it was just something for kids and boys. I was the youngest and the coach wanted me to join them.
She touched on her experiences with the Italian national team and playing in Wembley stadium.
I remember one day I saw a picture of the national team in a newspaper. I was surprised because I didn’t know it existed for women. I immediately thought that one day I would like to be part of it.
Scoring 4 goals at Wembley is perhaps the most important thing I have achieved. Before the game the coach came up to me and said: If you score here, you will be a real footballer.
After one goal, I was happy. After the second, third and fourth, the whole stadium (30,000 people) applauded me. I knew it was something incredible.
Finally, Morace discussed her experiences in the World Cup and her statistics.
I was the first to score a hat-trick in a World Cup, but nobody realised that it was an important step in the history of women’s football.
Any regrets about winning three Mundialito and not an official World Cup? No, because at the time there were much stronger teams. United States, Norway … difficult to have regrets.
My passable stats? It would be interesting to see the ratio of goals to games. Actually, I don’t care. I was there to score, I did my job, I don’t ask myself that question.
MORE: Lazio Women Coach Morace: “Ravenna Are Physical but I’m Confident”
MORE: Lazio Women’s Morace: “Wouldn’t Be Surprised if There Were Changes at Juve”
