“I want to keep learning and this is the perfect place to do that” – Alessia Russo on extending her stay at Arsenal | OneFootball

Earlier this week, Alessia Russo signed a new multi-year contract with Arsenal WFC.

“The moment I stepped foot at Arsenal, it’s been a feeling, and it’s been something that I’ve loved, every minute of it. I love the team, I love the staff, I love everything about the club. So it was a very easy decision.”

“I want to keep pushing as a player, I don’t think I’m ever satisfied with my performance. I want to keep learning and this is the perfect place to do that. The level of the players, the staff, the standard of training, the demands of training from the staff, is really high. I want to keep progressing as a player, but we also want to go and carry on winning trophies. After last season, we felt that we can perform on the highest level, and now we want to do that consistently.”

“I want to do everything I can to be the best version of myself. For me and for my team I think, when you play for a club like Arsenal, you owe it to yourself and the team to do everything you can to make sure you’re in the best shape, in the best form, and work hard. I will do that and I want to do that at Arsenal.”

Last season, the team had a rough start under Jonas Eidevall but were lifted to new hights when Renée Slegers took over. They finished second in the league, and won the UEFA Women’s Champions League in a 1-0 victory against FC Barcelona. “We were very clear in that we weren’t satisfied with how we performed at times in the league over the last few years. When you win a trophy, it lights that fire to go on and win more. It fuels your belief as well as a team, because we have done it against some of the best teams in Europe. Some of the best teams in Euros are in this league. It’s given us confidence. We’ve set a new standard for ourselves.”

When she was asked if this is the most comfortable she’s ever felt at a club, she said, “Yes and no. It’s comfortable in the sense that you know everyone is here to support you. But it’s also uncomfortable in the sense that you’ve always got to keep working hard, because we have so many great players and makes it an uncomfortable environment at times, because everyone is so good and pushing for more. That’s the perfect balance of what I wanted. I wanted to be in a place where I can talk to anyone, and have a relationship with everyone, which I do, players and staff, but I also wanted to be in an environment where it is uncomfortable at times. You have to stretch yourself, you have to push. You can’t ever take a session off, take a game off, because ultimately we have a worldclass squad and worldclass players. You are constantly being pushed and challenged. It’s a perfect balance of both, here at Arsenal.”

While different clubs and teams usually rival each other in their ambitions, and want to beat each other constantly, there are things that they can do as a collective.

“We as women do a really good job of empowering women. I’m grateful to be in a team full of people that push me every day and empower me. Being part of teams over the last few months where we’ve won two incredible trophies, makes me feel proud to be female, proud to be pushing this game and this team in the right direction. We as female footballers are doing a great job of empowering one another to want to go on and achieve even more.”