For the first time ever, APIA Leichhardt will be sending a women’s team to the Viareggio Tournament in Italy.
The prestigious youth tournament gathers teams from all across the globe, fighting to be 2022 champions.
The touring team will leave on March 5 and return March 23, playing 8-10 games across an 18 day stint.
APIA Women’s supremo and Head of Women’s Football Matteo Maiorana, is incredibly excited with his club’s participation in the tournament.
“It’s the first time APIA is sending a female squad to the tournament,” he proudly stated.
“Our Men’s team have been Oceania’s sole representative for the past 15 odd years and to get an opportunity to play in the biggest and most prestigious recognized FIFA sanctioned Youth tournament in the world is first and foremost a fantastic opportunity and secondly, a real statement of intent and acknowledgment on the clubs ongoing commitment to ensure we continue to add layers as we strive to become the best NPL Women’s program in the country.”
APIA will come up against some real powerhouses during their tour that will allow the girls to compare themselves against some of the world’s best young female teams.
“Our pre-tournament games are likely to be against local regional teams however we have locked in pre-tournament games against a leading American and Swedish team,” Maiorana said.
“The competition draw gets made on February 23 with the likes of Italian Giants AC Milan, Napoli, Roma, Juventus, Fiorentina all playing, whilst huge clubs from Spain. France, Germany, Britain, Scandinavia and Africa are all committed and entered to play.”
Similarly to the men’s tournament, the women’s is an under 19 tournament with two over aged players (not older than 20) eligible to play.
“It was important for us that when we accepted the invitation we wanted to ensure this would always be for APIA players only,” said Maiorana.
“Players that want to commit to the club are the players we want to provide an opportunity for. We were inundated with players wanting to travel on the tour once it was announced but we’ve only added one player as our alternate GK from outside the club who was an APIA junior.
“The squad will be a mix of our Under 18s and our Senior squad.”
There are some young players that have already caught the eye in the NPL competition and Maiorana has pin-pointed them as leaders of this generation.
“Claudia Cicco has come leaps and bounds and after a great season last year we expect her to have an even bigger impact within our 1st grade team. She’s training the house down at the moment and is looking fantastic.
“Isabella Di Sipio is one of our over age players. She’s a striker and a fantastic finisher, our expectations is that she breaks into 1st Grade this season.
“Soph Konstandinidis is very versatile and can play both in defence and in midfield. She will be looked at to provide some leadership on the pitch and Beth Crawford is another one who has really worked hard. She’s someone we have really high expectations on from within the club, she’s a central defender, a real talent and a great young kid.”
In terms of expectations for the tournament, it’s the experience that Maiorana says will help the girls become better footballers and even more importantly, better people.
“We think not only the tournament, but the tour as a whole will be an experience which will stay with everyone for ever. We ensured we created a tour that focused not only on the Football but the social aspects as well,” Maiorana said.
“The touring group will be see two Serie A games, the coliseum, the Vatican, the Spanish steps, get to spend a day shopping in the fashion capitals of Florence and Milan and only recently we had confirmed that the actual CARNEVALE which is a massive, massive party that has over 100,000 people attend will now go ahead. Something that hasn’t happened for the past few years due to COVID. That alone is spectacular.”
COVID hasn’t been kind to the APIA team either and been quite the hindrance in the lead up to the tournament.
“A hindrance doesn’t really give it justice. It’s been a nightmare,” Maiorana said.
“So many different aspects need to be covered and adhered to as internationally there as so many variations on the rules. RAT tests, PCR tests have been the norm.
“But our President Tony and our staff have been first class and ensuring everyone has been kept up to date and our parent group, in difficult and daily changing climates have been incredibly understanding.”
APIA won’t be travelling lightly to Italy either, with a full backroom staff also making the trip.
“Andrew Tucker will be the head coach and ably assisted by our 18s coach Michael Hawthorn. We will have a full time physio provided by our clubs Physio The Movement Clinic Sydney, our own chef a team manager, liaison officer and a head of Delegation,” added Maiorana.
APIA’s women’s program has come leaps and bounds since their promotion to the top tier of football in the state and Maiorana believes it will only improve and get better.
“Our club is one of the most recognizable footballing brands in the county. The history associated with APIA not many come near,” said Maiorana.
“The club has been absolutely first class in their support of our Women’s program and we’ve really come a long way in such a short period of time.”
“Last year, in only our second year in NPL 1 we were leading the Club Championship which is significant. We are pouring resources into the program from our GSAP through to our Youth to ensure our players are best prepared in all aspects not just in their football lives but their personal ones as well.
“We have something really special happening at APIA and it will only continue to grow and improve year upon year.”
Stay tuned to Football NSW to follow APIA’s progress at the Viareggio Tournament.
-NPL NSW Women’s Chief writer – Nikola Pozder
Back Row (L-R)
Audrey McLaren, Riley Welsh, Taylor Brookes, Isabella Coco -Di Sipio, Ella Martins, Layla Mouawad, Thea Draganova
Middle Row (L-R)
Andrew Tucker (coach) Gen Tucker (Asst Coach) Catherine Konstandinidis (Manager) Emily Brcic, Sophie Ingham, Emiijia Vidakovic, Elena Antic, Caitlin Stringer, Belinda Cicco (Tour Welfare Officer) Michael Hawthorne (Assistant Coach).
Front Row (L-R)
Kaitlin Kiparizov, Laura Pilgrim, Eleni Tsintominas, Beth Crawford, Claudia Cicco, Sophia Konstandinidis, Josie Dubbert, Jessica Saliba, Alyssa Walsh.