Move ends years of top-division female players earning capped salaries as amateur athletes
When Sara Gama and her Juventus Women teammates played for the first time at the club’s Allianz Stadium in Turin in March 2019, she knew the moment marked a significant leap forward in the acceptance of women’s football in Italy. More than 39,000 spectators filled the stadium, which until then had only been played in by men, breaking the previous 14,000 record for a women’s match in Italy. To top off the occasion, Juventus beat Fiorentina 1-0.
“There was a lot of emotion because it was the first time we played in such a big stadium, and in front of so many people,” said Gama, a celebrated defender who captains Juventus Women and the Italy women’s team. “We were aware that we were making history … but it wasn’t the only important thing that had happened in women’s football.”
