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27/04/2024 – With the goal that paved the way for Inter in their first ever success against Juventus in game 6 of the Scudetto round, Sassoferrato’s striker Elisa Polli entered the history of the black and blue women’s team, where she has played since three years now.
In the match broadcast live by RaiSport, the daughter of Elisa Polli (her father Franco was a striker for Borgo Fabriano first and then Camerino, while her uncle Giancarlo from Fabriano was always Camerino), was an absolute protagonist, scoring the goal of ‘1-0 with a coolness and a sense of goal that were not noticed at first, then the replay from behind the goal showed how the 23-year-old striker from Sassoferrato and captain of the Nerazzurre for the occasion, wrong-footed the extreme Juventus player with a soft and above all intelligent touch.
A goal that paved the way for Inter’s success and where they could have scored a brace, but on the Milanese team’s third goal he was offside and it was rightly disallowed. In addition to making the black and blue world rejoice for the feat of Maria Rita Guarino’s girls (former striker and her coach also in the national team, who wanted her at Inter and as a good connoisseur of attackers, Guarino yesterday also entrusted him with the armband as captain and was repaid in full), Elisa was among the best, sacrificing herself in all phases and in every area of the pitch, while always remaining a threat to the Juventus defense. Elisa sent everyone into raptures, with a super performance, which at the time of the substitution 20′ from the end, was confirmed by the embrace of her coach and coming out to the applause of the black and blue crowd following her in the away match in Biella.
An indescribable joy in front of the TV was what she gave to father Franco, not only because he is a die-hard Inter fan, but because he is the one who has seen the qualities of his little girl since she was little and has always believed that she could reach the top. As well as at the Polli house, many people rejoiced in the area, from Matelica, to Jesi (the teams where she played before taking off), but also in Camerino where her father and uncle Giancarlo (two great bombers of the 80s ) have left many beautiful memories and are always much loved, even by all the Nerazzurri fans. Black and blue people who this year have already had the great joy of the early conquest of the men’s championship in Serie A and also in this case marking a historic feat because it happened against Milan, as well as the first victory of the women’s team against Juve. “It was an indescribable emotion – says father Franco Polli on the phone – she had already scored against Juventus, but this goal and the victory against Inter is something else, it was wonderful, it’s the greatest satisfaction in life. It was last night’s game. Then tomorrow is my birthday, so it’s the best gift he could have given me. He scored many goals, but this goes down in history and there could have been two, but one was disallowed because he was offside.”
Can we define last night’s goal as “Polli-like” given the coolness, confidence and technical mastery in front of goal?
“He really stunned the goalkeeper on the occasion of the first goal. Then he also scored the 3-0 just offside, but even on that occasion he had the coolness to score. It would have been a double and a double satisfaction. But that’s fine too.”
The Polli family has football and goalscoring in their blood (Elisa’s brother Gianmarco also plays for Matelica in Promotion), when did Elisa start taking her first steps in football?
“At 5-6 years old, she started with the youngest in the “first kicks” category here in Sassoferrato, then as she grew up, she always wanted to play football, I took her with me to Genga and put the posts and/or pins for her to practice with the ball on the foot, it was fantastic to see her, then she finds those qualities and that technique again. I was always behind him, I taught him those dribbles to the right, to the left and the shot on goal. Then he started with the Pulcini in Sassoferrato, the first match they lost 10-1 and that only goal was his. From there she slowly came out. I always thought and hoped that one day she would be able to make her dream come true, which was also mine and I am very happy.”
The rest of Elisa’s career is known to everyone, but it is the figures in her football growth that speak clearly and demonstrate her predisposition for goals. She is quick, tough and explosive, she has great technique and an eye for goal, a characteristic that has led her to also wear the shirts of the youth national teams from Under 12 to Under 21, up to two call-ups in the senior team. With the rookies and very young players, in Matelica she scored 56 goals in 58 games, then she went to Jesi with the Primavera but passed quickly, after the third matchday she was called up by the senior team in Serie B. After an appearance of 10 ‘, the following Sunday he made his starting debut in Emilia Romagna where he scored and Jesina won 2-1 and from that moment on he remained a starter in Serie B at 15 and 16 years old, with 14 goals in 18 games. In that period you were in the sights of many Serie A clubs such as Juventus and Brescia, but you went to Tavagnacco (Udine), then you wore the Empoli shirt and this is your third season at Inter. Elisa’s career was also characterized by a serious collateral injury, but she was unable to stop it.
