Sara Gama (original) (raw)
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Italian footballer
Sara Gama
 Sara Gama, in an international match against Belgium in 2018 |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | (1989-03-27) 27 March 1989 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | Trieste, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Juventus | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2009 | Tavagnacco | 52 | (4) |
| 2009–2012 | Chiasiellis | 50 | (2) |
| 2010 | → Pali Blues (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Brescia | 25 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | Paris Saint-Germain | 11 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Brescia | 39 | (3) |
| 2017– | Juventus | 76 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006–2022 | Italy | 140 | (7) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 October 2022‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 November 2024 (UTC)[1] |
Sara Gama (born 27 March 1989) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Serie A club Juventus FC, which she captains, and formerly the Italy national team, whom she also captained.
She is a six-time Serie A winner, five of them with Juventus, and reached the knockout stages of two European Championships and one FIFA Women's World Cup with Italy.
Gama was passionate about football since a young age, joining Zaule (Muggia) and playing in mixed youth teams for them, later moving to Polisportiva San Marco in Villaggio del Pescatore in the municipality of Duino-Aurisina, where she remained for six years, playing for the first time in an all-female team.[2][3]
In a three-year period with UPC Tavagnacco[4], she made 52 appearances and scored 4 goals.[5] With the yellow and blues, she finished third in Serie A Femminile in 2008-2009 season and reached the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup in her first two seasons there.
Subsequently, she moved to another Serie A club Chiasiellis where she collected 50 appearances and scored twice,[5] but during her third season there, suffered a serious knee injury while on international duty with Italy, keeping her out for most of the 2011-12 season, limiting her to seven club appearances out of 26 games played by the club.[5] In her debut year at Chiasiellis, she played in the semi-finals of the 2010 Italian Cup, and finished seventh in Serie A in 2011-12, under the management of Fabio Franti.[6]
During the summer break in 2010 she took the opportunity to play in a foreign championship for the first time, temporarily moving on loan to Pali Blues to play in the W-League.[7]
Gama played for PSG of Division 1 Féminine in between two spells with Brescia, where she won a Serie A championship and Coppa Italia double in 2015-2016, plus two consecutive Italian Super Cups in 2015 and 2016.[8]
Juventus signed Gama on the establishment of their women's team and appointed her captain straight away. With Juve, Gama won five consecutive league titles from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022, plus three more Italian Cups in 2019, 2022 and 2023. Three consecutive Italian Super Cups from 2019 to 2021 were also claimed.[8]
International career
[edit]
Gama was a member of the Italian national team,[9] and was selected for four European Championships and one FIFA Women's World Cup. As an Under-19 international she won the 2008 U-19 European Championship serving as the team's captain, and was named Player of the Tournament.[10]
Gama made her senior debut for the Italy women's national football team as a 16-year-old in June 2006, in a 2–1 defeat by Ukraine in the qualifiers for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.[11]
Gama reached two European Championship quarter-finals for Italy, the first coming in her debut tournament in 2009,[12] and again in 2013 under national coach Antonio Cabrini.[13] Both tournaments ended in the last-eight at the hands of eventual winners Germany.
Cabrini named Gama as Italy captain in 2014.[14] She also played at Euros finals in 2017[15] and 2022,[16] but Italy did not qualify out of the group stages of either.
Under Milena Bertolini, Italy and Gama qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup,[17] their first time in the tournament for twenty years, losing to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, the Azzurri's joint best ever performance. Gama and Italy also finished runners-up at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in 2020 (withdrawing from the final due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2022.[18][19]
Despite being captain, Gama was not called up to the Italy squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, with coach Bertolini wanting to include more younger players.[20]
Gama was recalled to the national squad after the World Cup by new coach Andrea Soncin, featuring in the 2023-24 UEFA Women's Nations League, her final competition before deciding to retire from international football at the age of 34. Her 140th and final appearance for the Azzurri was in a goalless draw against Ireland in Bagno a Ripoli on 23 February 2024.[1][21] At the time of retirement, she was the fourth-highest capped Italian women's player of all time.[1]
Gama's mother is Italian, while her father is Congolese.[22]
In 2017, she graduated in Languages at the Università degli Studi di Udine.[23] She speaks Italian, English, French and Spanish.[24]
In 2018, for the International Women's Day, Mattel presented the Sara Gama Barbie doll as part of the Barbie's Heroes doll line.[25]
During her football career she was the victim of racist insults, which became more pronounced when she became captain of the Italian national team.[26] She publicly urged the Italian football authorities to take punitive action to combat the phenomenon of racism.[27][28]
She supported professional women's football before its introducion in Italy, calling for social and welfare protection for female footballers.
Since October 2018, she has been a councilor of the FIGC for the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC),[29] and on 30 November 2020 was elected vice president of the AIC, the first woman in history to hold the position.[30] With this role, on 9 June 2021 she joined the CONI National Athletes' Commission.[31]
A documentary on her career Numero 3, Sara Gama was broadcast in Italy on RAI in Janaury 2023.
Brescia
- Serie A: 2015–16
- Coppa Italia: 2015–16
- Italian Women's Super Cup: 2015, 2016
Juventus
- Serie A: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Coppa Italia: 2018–19, 2021–22
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2019, 2020–21, 2021–22
Individual
- AIC Best Women's XI: 2019[32]
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2019[33]
As of match played 26 September 2023[34]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2006 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 133 | 7 |
Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gama goal.
List of international goals scored by Sara Gama
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 March 2007 | Estádio Dr. Francisco Vieira, Silves, Portugal |  Republic of Ireland |
4–1 | 4–1 | 2007 Algarve Cup |
| 2 | 19 September 2009 | Domžale Sports Park, Domžale, Slovenia |  Armenia |
3–0 | 8–0 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 5–0 | |||||
| 4 | 11 March 2013 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Scotland |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 5 | 7 December 2016 | Arena da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil |  Russia |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2016 Torneio Internacional de Manaus de Futebol |
| 6 | 21 September 2021 | Stadion Branko Čavlović-Čavlek, Karlovac, Croatia |  Croatia |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 26 October 2021 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania |  Lithuania |
4–0 | 5–0 |
- ^ a b c "Sara Gama lascia la Nazionale: venerdì contro l'Irlanda l'ultima partita con la maglia azzurra. "È stato un viaggio straordinario"" [Sara Gama leaves the National Team: Friday against Ireland her last match with the blue jersey. "It was an extraordinary journey"]. FIGC.it (in Italian). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Sara Gama, da Trieste alla Champions" [Sara Gama, from Trieste to the Champions League]. il Piccolo (in Italian). 19 May 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "FEMMINILE - Nasce la Triestina San Marco" [The Triestina San Marco is born]. FriuliGol (in Italian). 22 March 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ Statistics at Football.it
- ^ a b c "Sara Gama". football.it (in Italian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ 2011-12 squad on Chiasiellis' website
- ^ 2010 squad Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine on Pali Blues' website
- ^ a b "Soccerway - Sara Gama". Soccerway (in Italian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Sara Gama - Italy - UEFA Women's Nations League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ 2008 U19WC MVP: Sara Gama. UEFA
- ^ "Italia Campionato Europeo Femminile Svezia 10 - 28 Luglio 2013" (PDF) (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. p. 12. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Season 2009 - UEFA Women's EURO". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Cabrini finalises Italy's Women's EURO squad". uefa.com. UEFA. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Sara Gama saluta la Nazionale Azzurra" [Sara Gama says goodbye to the Italian national team]. Juventus.com (in Italian). Juventus. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Italy 2017 UEFA Women's European Championship squad". ESPN. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Italy 2022 UEFA Women's European Championship squad". ESPN. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Ecco le 23 convocate per il Mondiale: il 2 giugno la partenza per la Francia" [Here are the 23 players called up for the World Cup: departure for France on June 2nd]. FIGC.it (in Italian). 24 May 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Emergenza Coronavirus: l'Italia rinuncia alla finale dell'Algarve Cup, domani il rientro a Roma" [Coronavirus emergency: Italy withdraws from the Algarve Cup final, returning to Rome tomorrow]. FIGC.it (in Italian). 10 March 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Azzurre, che peccato. La Svezia fa sua ai rigori l'Algarve Cup. Bertolini: "Le ragazze sono state eccezionali"" [Azzurre, what a shame. Sweden wins the Algarve Cup on penalties. Bertolini: “The girls were exceptional”]. FIGC.it (in Italian). 23 February 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Italy captain Gama omitted from Women's World Cup squad". Reuters. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "Al 'Viola Park' Italia-Irlanda finisce 0-0. Le emozioni arrivano dal tributo a Gama: "È stato un grande onore". Gravina: "Sara un simbolo"" [At 'Viola Park' Italy-Ireland ends 0-0. Emotions come from the tribute to Gama: "It was a great honor". Gravina: "It will be a symbol"]. FIGC.it (in Italian). 23 February 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ Marco Pasonesi (5 November 2013). "L'altra metà del calcio". gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ "Juventus, una laurea in difesa. Chiellini? No, Sara Gama". tuttosport.com (in Italian). Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ Stefanini, Maurizio (9 June 2019). "Chi è Sara Gama, capitana della Nazionale". Lettera43 (in Italian). Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "Barbie rende omaggio a Sara Gama - Juventus.com". 10 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "«Come fa a essere italiana?», l'idiozia degli insulti contro la capitana azzurra Gama" [A"How can she be Italian?", the idiocy of the insults against the Italian captain Gama]. Open Online (in Italian). 8 June 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "SARA GAMA "RAZZISMO DA COMBATTERE, BASTA PAROLE SERVE AGIRE"" [Sara Gama: "Racism must be fought, enough words, we need actions"]. Il Tempo (in Italian). 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Sara Gama paladina dell'antirazzismo: «Servono gesti eclatanti»" [Sara Gama champion of anti-racism: "We need dramatic gestures"]. juvelive.it (in Italian). 22 January 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Nei piani alti di Uefa e Figc i neri non ci sono: è un problema per la lotta contro il razzismo?" [There are no black people in the upper echelons of UEFA and FIGC: is this a problem for the fight against racism?]. EuroNews (in Italian). 27 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Calcio, Sara Gama è la prima vicepresidente donna dell'Assocalciatori. Umberto Calcagno succede a Tommasi" [SoccerFootball, Sara Gama is the first female vice president of the Footballers' Association. Umberto Calcagno succeeds Tommasi]. OA Sport (in Italian). 30 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Sara Gama nella Commissione Nazionale Atleti del CONI" [Sara Gama in the CONI National Athletes Commission]. assocalciatori.it (in Italian). l'Associazione dei calciatori in Italia. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
- ^ "Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners". Football Italia. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ "Pirlo, Mazzone, Boniek in Hall of Fame". Football Italia. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
- ^ "Italy - S. Gama - Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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