Noceto, 15 November 2025 – The words of coach Giovanni Valenti after Parma vs Fiorentina:

“We’re pleased: it was a good performance and, even though there’s still room for improvement – and we’ll keep working on that – the girls showed real heart and tremendous determination.

I hope it’s a source of pride for our fans too: those who travelled to Genoa and those who supported us here at Il Noce today. Their backing always makes a difference, and we dedicate this result to them.

In our last three home matches we’ve gone behind three times and reacted every time, taking five points: that says a lot about this team’s mentality. After conceding, we managed to keep the ball higher up the pitch with more continuity, and that allowed us to create several dangerous situations.

Distefano? She has a great presence around the goal, is able to shoot well off both feet and has a natural ability to find the back of the net. She just needs to stay calm, humble and focused. We’re working to help her develop, but she’s a forward who can really achieve a lot.

Our pressing on Fiorentina’s two centre-backs and central midfield was very demanding, especially given the quality of their players. It was impossible to maintain that level for 90 minutes, so we made changes. Kajzba and Kaján came on really well. I don’t like making only two substitutions: I’ve got so many players who deserve minutes, but in such a finely balanced match, too many changes can disrupt things, so we chose carefully.

We’re satisfied with our journey so far: apart from the first match of the season, we’ve never got the approach wrong. Even in the games we’ve lost, we’ve always played with maturity and organisation. I’d put this draw on the same level as the one against Inter: two very strong opponents who I expect to be right up there at the end of the season.

I’m proud of this group. Today we changed the line-up again: Benedetti played — she made her debut at the Tardini against Juventus — and she gave us 95 minutes of real quality and intensity. I have huge confidence in everyone, even those who play less. The fact we’ve used nine different line-ups across the league and cup this season shows how deep and reliable this squad is.”