19 February 2026
After Thursday evening’s 2-0 loss at home to Wolfsburg in the second leg of the Women’s Champions League playoff round, which ended the Juventus Women’s First Team’s European journey for the season, Stefano Braghin, coach Massimiliano Canzi, and player Lia Walti spoke.
STEFANO BRAGHIN
“We had a good run in the Champions League, and we got through the League Phase which wasn’t a given at the start of the season. We played some top-level opponents and played some excellent games. People often talk about the gap between us and Europe’s big clubs, but our progress and performances show that the gap is getting smaller. This is a great sign for us.
“We knew every detail would count against Wolfsburg, and they were more skilled than us, but this is part of our growth in Europe. We must learn from what didn’t work, but for us this was a great Champions League campaign and we have to look at it as a starting point for the future.
“I can speak on behalf of our club, and not all of Italian women’s football: our growth is evident, and is continuing. Just think that five or six years ago we couldn’t have dreamt of playing on equal terms with Wolfsburg, but today we spent the entire second half pressing them in their half looking for an equaliser. That shows that things are changing and that we’re becoming an increasingly stronger team.”
MASSIMILIANO CANZI
“We could have kept playing for however long, but the ball just wouldn’t have gone into their goal. It’s a shame because reading that it ended 2-0 gives a very different impression from the game than the reality. But, that’s football. I’m proud of the girls, they gave their all and I couldn’t have asked them for more. I’m happy with the choices we made too, and we knew it could have gone to 120 minutes tonight, so it was important to consider that as a possibility from the start.
“Our European campaign has been really positive. Now, we have to do our best to qualify again so we can go back to playing here like we have in recent months.”
LIA WALTI
“We’re really disappointed, especially after such a good second half in which we deserved more. We tried everything, but just couldn’t score. We struggled in the first half, but sorted things out in the second and created a lot of chances. All we were missing was a goal, and that was the big difference tonight. It’s been a bit of a recurring theme this season that we create but don’t convert. In Europe, you get punished if you don’t take your chances. We can be proud of our performance today, but it’s a pity we couldn’t get the result.”
