Viola Calligaris is a mainstay in the back three at Italian top-flight club Juventus Turin as well as in the national team. But she also knows how to shine in front of goal, especially in national team kit.
Under Pia Sundhage, there is no way around Viola Calligaris. The 28-year-old is also an undisputed regular at club level. Whether in the league or in the Champions League, Calligaris is almost always on the pitch for Serie A leaders Juventus Turin. "I feel very good and I'm happy to have so many playing minutes. It's also extremely important for the national team. So it's certainly ideal at the moment," said Calligaris when asked about her role ahead of the game against Germany.
In a small group, she also revealed that she regularly receives feedback from the coaching staff. This often takes the form of WhatsApp messages, but sometimes also includes on-site visits. For example, Pia Sundhage recently watched the Champions League match against Arsenal live in the stadium and assistant coach Lilie Persson traveled to a match in Rome.
Calligaris can do more than just prevent goals
It is a form of appreciation that makes Calligaris feel good. The 28-year-old proved just how important she is for the national team in the European Championship qualifiers. Not only does she prevent goals, she also scores them herself. She scored three times in the qualifiers, making her the team's top scorer. It worked out well with the standards, she got great crosses, she analyzes modestly and doesn't want to know that she scores often.
✍️ Viola Calligaris profile
- Date of birth: March 17, 1996
- Position: Defense
- Club: Juventus Turin
- Height: 1.67
- International caps: 59
- Instagram profile
In doing so, however, she unintentionally puts her finger in a gaping wound: Switzerland lacks a striker who is good for a goal in every game. When asked about this, she replies diplomatically: "We have a lot of quality up front. And as long as everyone can score a few goals, that's not so bad. The important thing is simply that we score them."
She has special praise for the youngsters, who "clearly count themselves as old". "I keep saying it, the youngsters have brought a lot of drive and quality to the team. That can help us enormously, including next summer at the European Championships." It is also good when there is greater competition. "It raises the quality of the whole team and also gives us more options." Three or four years ago, it was a different story.
Calligaris does not name names, but she is certainly thinking of Iman Beney (18) and Smilla Vallotto (20), who both have a very good chance of making the starting XI for the European Championship. Or Naomi Luyet (18), who scored a dream goal in Switzerland's victory against France but is now missing through injury. A comeback for Roma striker Alayah Pilgrim (21), who is still suffering from an injury, would also be good for the national team.
Calligaris prefers to play against the top nations
In the European Championship qualifiers, Switzerland, who were already automatically qualified for the finals as hosts, faced smaller nations. After a prolonged period of weakness the previous year, this was perhaps exactly what the Swiss needed to rebuild their self-confidence. The games against Australia (1:1) and France (2:1) showed just how much this had grown. However, the 6-0 defeat against Germany also showed that the national team is not yet where it would like to be.
And it won't be any easier against the reigning European champions and runners-up from England. Calligaris, however, likes precisely these challenges. "I like playing against strong opponents, because it simply takes everything you've got if you want to compete with the best." The only opponents she doesn't like are those who race across the pitch at 35 km/h, says Calligaris, rolling her eyes and laughing.
The memories of Bramall Lane, where Switzerland will play England on Tuesday, could be better. At Euro 2022, Switzerland lost in this stadium against both Sweden (1:2) and the Netherlands (1:4). Let's see if they can do better against the strong Lionesses of all teams.
