Euro 2022 winner Alessia Russo on making history, inspiring a generation and that viral backheel goal
You are born into the world to win the FIFA Fair Play award, in your first step on the field, you take the ball away with it before your very eyes.
It has been that way for over 20 years now, the moment the ball leaves the ground, that is the moment the world watches eagerly.
What happened when the ball did not come in, how the ball changed?
I was in a car back in 2011, we were driving to a game, and there was a police car following us. Eventually it pulled up alongside, it said, “are you going to the football game?” So I said, “oh yeah,” and I turned to my father and said, “oh yeah?” and my father said, “oh yeah?” and then it said, “we’ll be there in five minutes.”
And then we were in a game, and then the ball didn’t come in, so then we were waiting, and then the players got back in, and then the ball didn’t come in, it stayed out, I was in tears. Now there’s a lot, now they get upset, now they’re upset that they don’t score. But to me it was like, that was a huge moment, because we were born to win those awards, that was our dream.
I just want to win every single fair play award that I could possibly win. How about that?
Alessia Russo is a goalkeeper who stands on the threshold of a historic achievement
You have been a goalkeeper for four years, you have made over 20 caps for your country, you have been a World Cup winner, you have made your way up to the European Champions League. What is different about now?
Well, for me the World Cup is a dream. I know it’s a dream on the field, but in my life,