{"id":556773,"date":"2026-03-24T04:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T04:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/556773\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T04:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T04:55:08","slug":"i-enjoy-when-things-get-tough-alessia-russo-on-arsenals-trophy-quest-family-pride-and-staying-focused-alessia-russo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/556773\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I enjoy when things get tough\u2019: Alessia Russo on Arsenal\u2019s trophy quest, family pride and staying focused | Alessia Russo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alessia Russo is happy and it shows. The 27-year-old is playing some of the best football of her career for Arsenal and England. She has 15 goals and six assists in 29 games for her club this season, is the leading scorer in the Champions League before the first leg of the quarter-final against Chelsea on Tuesday, and has four goals in six games for England since her equaliser in the Euro 2025 final<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever you\u2019re happy in life and in your club environment, it breathes on to the pitch,\u201d she says. \u201cI do feel in a really good place. I feel super calm and I\u2019m just enjoying my football.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m staying quite present this year, which is something I\u2019ve tried to do a lot over the last couple of years, making sure I just enjoy the here and now and focus on each moment. That helps me stay locked in on one thing at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compartmentalising each moment is not easy, she has come to realise. \u201cI\u2019ve probably only got used to it over the last couple of years at 26 and 27,\u201d Russo says. \u201cBefore that things were just 100\u00a0miles an hour and you can get carried away and think too far ahead. I\u2019ve found that does not help me at all, so staying super-present and really locked in on the moment is something that helps me get the best out of myself on the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 5-0 win against West Ham on Saturday<\/a> was the first of three London derbies at the Emirates\u00a0Stadium in what she calls an \u201cideal week of football\u201d \u2013 with the European game against Chelsea on Tuesday followed by a league match against Tottenham four days later.<\/p>\n

Russo scored the second against the Hammers in her 101st appearance for Arsenal, who are 11 points behind the leaders Manchester City, three behind Manchester United and two behind third-placed Chelsea \u2013 but with two\u00a0games in hand.<\/p>\n

City\u2019s WSL lead is probably unassailable, but with the Gunners in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, there is still silverware to be won.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve always been quite a hard-working player,\u2019 says Russo. \u2018When you have to incorporate that in your game I do enjoy it.\u2019 Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n

Having lifted the Champions League trophy last season<\/a>, maintaining their status as \u201cthe only in the land\u201d to have tasted European glory, 18 years after their first win, she says: \u201cMaybe the pressure isn\u2019t as intense, but for us and the standards that we set ourselves there\u2019s a different kind of\u00a0pressure. The difference is that we know we\u2019ve got what it takes, but we also know how amazing it feels to win and we want that feeling over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overcoming Chelsea across two legs will be far from easy, and making a strong start at the Emirates Stadium is \u201csuper important\u201d, Russo says. In\u00a0tight games against top opposition no chance can be wasted. Learning to deal with that pressure can take time. \u201cIt\u2019s another thing I\u2019ve got better at as I\u2019ve got older,\u201d Russo says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was younger I used to lash at a lot of things. You\u2019re prepared and aware you only get a few moments in most games now, you probably only get around three big chances as a front three or front four. We\u2019re aware of that in the team and lots of our messaging is about making moments matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

What if you fail to make a moment matter? How do you stop negativity from creeping in? \u201cWhen I played at United with Tobin [Heath] and Christen [Press], one thing I took from them is that whenever we would miss a big chance, they were always so positive. I\u2019ve tried to take that forward with me now. They were like: \u2018That\u2019s amazing. We\u2019re doing something right because we\u2019re getting these chances. So let\u2019s keep going and build momentum.\u2019<\/p>\n

Alessia Russo scores as Arsenal stunned Lyon 4-1 last season to reach their first Women\u2019s Champions League final since 2007. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at the game and things in that way works for me because I\u2019m quite a positive person. No one wants to miss a chance, but you\u2019re building the right chances, you\u2019re getting in the right spaces, and it\u2019s just about making sure that we do it over and over again. When I\u00a0do something I know wasn\u2019t good enough, I want another moment to\u00a0put it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russo is getting a lot right on the pitch at the moment. Frequently playing a deeper role for her club has led to people noticing the strengths she brings in addition to goals and assists. \u201cIt\u2019s really nice that it\u2019s maybe being recognised from the outside, but as long as it\u2019s\u00a0recognised by my teammates and the staff, then I\u2019m happy. They\u2019re the opinions that matter the most to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quick GuideBompastor denies Chelsea crisisShow\"\"<\/p>\n

Chelsea and Arsenal battle injuries before WCL clash<\/p>\n

Sonia Bompastor has dismissed any suggestion that her side were in crisis after only eight outfield Chelsea players took part in open training before their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal at the Emirates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, this is not a crisis,\u201d said the manager. \u201cThis is what it is when you are Chelsea, sometimes in the season you find yourself in moments where you have to deal with the players available and I’m very much aware of that and my job, the staff\u2019s job, and even the players, is focusing on what we can control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to a question about the number of outfield players in training, the 45-year-old was in a playful mood. \u201cAre we playing in the World 7s tomorrow evening? That’s why I felt only eight players were enough,\u201d she jested. \u201cWe are aware, we are playing a big game, it\u2019s the Champions League quarter-final. But, when you are playing a lot of games and having quick turnarounds, a lot of players are doing individual programmes. Everything is under control and we will have enough players to play the game tomorrow, don’t worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those potentially missing out is Aggie Beever-Jones, who has been in and out of the side with injuries in recent months and came off during their 1-1 draw with London City Lionesses at the weekend with an ankle injury. Bompastor said the forward was assessed today and will be assessed again ahead of a decision on her availability for Tuesday night\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Australian duo Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter have returned to England following their defeat to Japan in the Asian Cup final, but will not be available to boost the Blues\u2019 depleted numbers, with Bompastor saying it was \u201ctoo high risk\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Arsenal will similarly be without their Australian players, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manager Ren\u00e9e Slegers also confirmed that Tuesday night will be too soon for the England captain Leah Williamson (pictured), who missed Saturday\u2019s 5-0 defeat of West Ham with a calf injury. \u201cShe\u2019s progressing well, but it\u2019s too early,\u201d said the manager. Suzanne Wrack<\/p>\n

Photograph: David Price\/Arsenal FC<\/p>\n

Thank you for your feedback.<\/p>\n

Russo does not care where she plays but has benefited from \u201cseeing the game through different\u00a0lenses\u201d as it has built up an understanding of what each role\u00a0needs from another.<\/p>\n

When you watch her play, it also seems clear she finds real joy in work in addition to goals and assists, in\u00a0or out of possession. \u201cI\u2019ll never say that anything beats scoring, but I do enjoy the dirty stuff and the hard graft,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve always been quite a hard-working player. When you have to incorporate that in your game I do enjoy it, I enjoy when things get tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russo\u2019s family are there to watch whether things are plain sailing or tough. They are very tight-knit, with brothers Georgio and Luca (who is also her agent) and parents Mario and Carol at most games. Mario has not missed a single one.<\/p>\n

Being able to reward that support with moments such as the Champions League win, or the Euros triumphs in 2022 and 2025, is everything. She has two photos of her dad where she can \u201cjust tell he\u2019s buzzing\u201d, the first is in his first Arsenal shirt when she signed for the club, the second is at the 2022 European Championship with the medal around his neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow they have raised me is something that I carry with me all the time and is probably something I don\u2019t talk about that much,\u201d Russo says. \u201cThey\u2019re a massive part of what motivates me. I\u2019m motivated by winning, but I\u2019m also motivated by making the people around me proud and that\u2019s my family and my teammates. That\u2019s something that brings out the best in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new addition of her niece, who was born the day before the Champions League final in Lisbon last year, on 23 May [Russo wears 23 on her shirt] has added another motivation. Being an aunt is \u201cthe best\u201d, she says. \u201cShe\u2019s just the light of our family now. She\u2019s just amazing. I didn\u2019t know how much I\u2019d love it until it happened.<\/p>\n

Russo (centre) celebrates after equalising against Spain in the Euro 2025 final in Basel. Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino\/AP<\/p>\n

\u201cKids just make everything better. Whether I\u2019ve had a good or\u00a0bad game, I go into the family room and she\u2019s there. She doesn\u2019t care, she\u2019s away with the fairies playing with her toys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another thing to keep her grounded is the launch of The Alessia\u00a0Russo Foundation<\/a>, that aims to champion girls\u2019 participation in sports, empower young women and elevate women\u2019s health. At this critical time of her career, dedicating time to those things is important to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel grateful that I play for Arsenal, one of the best clubs in the world, and for England, one of the best national teams in the world,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve got this platform, people know me, and while I\u2019m fortunate enough to have that I want to do something as meaningful as possible with it when it will have the biggest impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething I\u2019m really passionate about is helping young\u00a0girls, whether in football or life in general. I was so lucky growing up with a really supportive\u00a0family and\u00a0a great passion for football, but not many people are fortunate enough to have those things. I would just hate it if we miss out on talented women, not only in football but in every aspect of society, because they didn\u2019t know where to start or have that support.\u201d<\/p>\n

That fire to give back runs through her teammates. \u201cWe have so many talented people in our club teams and national teams, look at what Ella [Toone\u2019s] doing with her academy<\/a> or what LJ [Lauren James] is doing with her scholarship. There\u2019s so much opportunity to be able to have an impact and I would regret it in 10 years\u2019 time if I hadn\u2019t done anything to try and help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Russo laps up the moment after winning the Champions League in Lisbon last year. Photograph: Florencia Tan Jun\/Uefa\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Aside from the three Fs \u2013 family, friends and the foundation \u2013 Russo unwinds with films, TV shows, books \u2013 Freida McFadden\u2019s thrillers\u00a0are her current go-tos \u2013 and football. \u201cIt\u2019s different enough because it\u2019s not my football,\u201d she says of watching Arsenal men. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0watching them all. I wish I was able to get to the Emirates\u00a0[Stadium] more but with\u00a0our schedule I\u2019m at home watching most of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have friends in the men\u2019s side and there\u2019s lots of good feelings between us, the players and the staff. We see a lot of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

What would it mean to see both teams win silverware this season? \u201cThat would be sick, a nice trophy parade,\u201d she says, with a grin, before getting serious: \u201cThe men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams would say we\u2019ve got to perform now. We\u2019re fortunate enough to still be in lots of competitions and pushing for lots of things, but it means nothing if we don\u2019t go out and perform on the pitch. It would be amazing, but we\u2019ve got to keep winning.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alessia Russo is happy and it shows. The 27-year-old is playing some of the best football of her…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":["post-556773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}