Italy crashed out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the group stages after losing 5-0 to Sweden before their shocking 3-2 defeat to South Africa.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Criscione says she felt a bit let down by the team’s performance.

“I think they’re on the right path. They are getting more money coming into the game and they’re developing the professional game. They have a new structure for the league. More and more of the major clubs are investing more money, now that the league is professional” Criscione said.

“I believe that they are taking the right steps, it just needs to transfer into the national team and get better results. As they are bringing in more international players into the league it helps to develop it and give the national team players a bigger challenge.”

Criscione also had a successful spell with Sassari Torres from 2009 to 2014, winning three Serie A titles, in 2011, 2012 and 2013. She says she was impressed by the African nations and how they performed in this World Cup.

“I was really happy with the African nations and how they performed and how they never gave up. For me, that was really inspiring, and knowing that most of those players aren’t necessarily paid really puts things into perspective. The leagues aren’t as established there, their success was really due to them individually. I don’t know how much I would give credit to the federations and how they are or aren’t helping to develop the players.

I believe it’s the individual players or individual organizations really helping to develop these players.

And for me, it was really exciting to watch them be so successful and do something that they’ve never done before and I don’t even know if the men have ever passed the group stages besides Morocco.”

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