About The Speaker
Milena Bertolini
Born in Correggio (Reggio Emilia) on 24 June 1966, Milena Bertolini took charge of the Women’s National Team in August 2017 after a brilliant career as first a player and then a club manager in which she won numerous trophies. With the Azzurre, she has written the most important chapter in the history of women’s football in Italy. First, she led the National Team to their first World Cup finals tournament in 20 years before then inspiring the team to the quarter-finals in France, thrilling millions of fans in the process. In February 2021, the Azzurre, under her stewardship. qualified for Euro 2022, tournament that took place in the UK last summer. In May 2021, Milena signed a new contract with the FIGC that will see her remain in charge of the National Team until the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, for which the Azzurre qualified last September in Ferrara as Group G winners. Career. After starting at Correggese, she made her first-team debut for Reggiana in 1984 before the side was promoted to Serie A two years later. She spent 15 seasons in the top flight at Reggiana, Modena, Prato, Sassari, Bologna, Agliana, Fiammamonza, Pisa and Verona, winning the Scudetto three times, the Coppa Italia once and Supercoppa Italiana on one occasion, too. Her playing career came to an end in 2001 and she joined the coaching staff at her last club, Verona. In 2002, she was named the Coach and won the Scudetto and Supercoppa Italiana. In 2004, she moved to Reggiana, where she would stay for seven seasons, winning the Coppa Italia in 2010. In 2012, she headed to Brescia, where she enjoyed her greatest period of success. In five years there, she won the Scudetto (x2) and Supercoppa Italiana (x2) and also led the ‘Leonesse’ to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2016. Overall, as a Coach, she’s won the Scudetto three times, the same number of Coppa Italia trophies and the Supercoppa Italiana on four occasions. In terms of individual accolades, she’s won the ‘Panchina d’Oro’ six times, an award which is assigned by the Technical Sector of the FIGC according to votes from fellow coaches. Earning a degree in 2001 in Bologna in Sports Science after previously studying for a diploma in surveying, Bertolini has been a qualified UEFA Pro Coach and athletic trainer since 2011. She was a Federal Advisor for the FIGC between 2000 and 2004 and was also part of the FIGC’s Commission for the Development of Women’s Football between 2013 and 2016. She has also been involved in sport away from her roles on the pitch. She was an Assessor for Sport and Social Services with the Correggio Council (1994-1998) and a Provincial Advisor for Reggio Emilia (1998-2002), as well as the President of the Fondazione per lo Sport del Comune di Reggio Emilia (Foundation for Sports of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia). After being inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in the ‘female player’ category, she was honoured in the splendid setting of the Salone dei Cinquecento at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
