Diletta Leotta: ‘It was not easy to fit into a world dominated by men’ | Women’s football

Welcome to Moving the Goalposts, the Guardian’s new (and free) women’s football newsletter. Here is an excerpt from this week’s edition. To receive the full version once a week, simply enter your email below:

This summer, more than ever, the eyes have focused on the performance of women on the field. Players from all over the world have dazzled fans and emphatically illustrated that this is where they belong.

Equally important is the increasing visibility of women in off-field roles. Nowhere is this more evident than in the media. Over the last few years we have seen more and more female voices involved as journalists, on the radio and as presenters and experts on our TV screens.

Italy’s Diletta Leotta is a shining example. A presenter for DAZN for the past four years, she is the face of the platform’s Serie A coverage and has also worked on its Women’s Champions League broadcast. With more than ten years of experience, she has had to break through the barriers of a traditionally male-dominated company and takes immense pride in working for a team that is now 40% female.

“In 2018, I remember being completely alone on the field,” she tells Moving the Goalposts. “But now [there] are so many women doing this job, so I’m really happy to be a part of this team full of women. In the beginning, it was not easy to fit into this world dominated by men. And now I think we are ready to experience an inclusive show with football and women in football.”

Friendly and energetic, it’s clear within minutes of meeting Leotta how passionate she is about her job. “I have loved football since I was a little girl. It never ceases to amaze me and it never ceases to be exciting,” she says. “My last match, Milan [against Internazionale] at San Siro was incredible. The atmosphere and the derby were crazy. I must say that I am lucky because I am doing what I love to do.”

Football in Italy is often said to be “like a religion”. This means that there is not much room for error in public-facing roles. That pressure would get to most people, but Leotta’s most important piece of advice is to stay authentic. “You have to be perfect when you talk about football,” she says. “I was completely obsessed with being perfect and sometimes I lost my authenticity. But now I think I’m ready to be myself every time and show my personality. Maybe this is one of the most important things I can do.”

Leotta has a close eye on the progress of the women’s game in her country. She cites presenting the coverage of the women’s Champions League final in Turin in May as one of her favorite achievements. “During that match you could see these amazing footballers, [who were] super professional,” she recalls. “They inspire the new generation and you can see now, it’s normal to see a little girl who wants to be a footballer.”

Serie A Femminile began in Italy a fortnight ago and Juventus and Roma will also feature in this year’s Champions League. With DAZN owning the broadcast rights to the WCL, Leotta is excited to have more chances to work in the women’s game: “I’m ready to restart with football and with women in football. It’s nice because in Italy football, which I said before, like religion, but also women’s football is increasing a lot. I could see this during the Champions League because so many people were there and the atmosphere was very good.”

While domestic football may be going strong, Italy’s struggles on the international front are no secret. The men failed to qualify for this winter’s World Cup, while the women failed to progress from their group at Euro 2022, despite high expectations. “It’s not a good moment,” Leotta explains ruefully. “I remember in 2019, Italy [women] played very well and the television and newspapers paid a lot of attention to these footballers. I prefer to remember that moment, not just because I prefer to see the bright side of life, but I think now we have to restart for the women’s national team, but also for the men. It is not easy to have a World Cup without Italy.”

This hope may not be too far off. Since our conversation, Italy have secured automatic qualification for the Women’s World Cup in 2023. Another opportunity, perhaps, for the players and women working in the sport to take center stage.

Talking points

Start of WSL delayed: With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, all football was canceled by the FA as a mark of respect. On Monday, the return of games was approved, and the season now begins this weekend. Arsenal kick off proceedings against Brighton at Borehamwood on Friday night.

Officials on strike: The start of Liga F, Spain’s new professional women’s league, was canceled last weekend due to a strike by its referees. They are asking for increased wages and professional working conditions. In somewhat absurd circumstances, the teams still traveled and went out to games even though they knew they wouldn’t be playing.

The road to Australia and New Zealand: Two of the home nations and Ireland have learned their playoff fates for the World Cup qualifiers. In the first round, Scotland will host Austria in a difficult encounter at Hampden Park. Should they win, they will then host Ireland. Wales, meanwhile, will entertain Bosnia and Herzegovina. Switzerland awaits the winner in round two.