03.12.24Club news

Rosa Lappi-Seppälä: A Life dedicated to football and the new challenge with F.C. Como Women

On and off the field, Rosa Lappi-Seppälä has written significant chapters of her footballing journey, spanning Finland, Belgium, the United States, and Italy. From an elite player to a seasoned mentor, Rosa now brings her technical expertise and enlightened vision of women’s football development to Como Women.

Rosa began playing football out of passion in the 1980s, a time when women’s football was still on the fringes of the European sports scene. “I remember my mother asking me several times if I was sure about pursuing it,” she recalls. “At the time, football was considered a men’s sport, too rough for girls. Despite these initial doubts, my family never hindered my choice.” Starting her journey in Helsinki neighborhoods, she joined HJK and won eight league titles and five Finnish Cups, establishing herself as one of Finland’s leading football figures. Her international experience took her to Belgium and the United States, where she also pursued studies at Barry University in Miami Shores.

However, it was in Italy that Rosa spent the longest and most significant part of her international career, playing for Torino, Foroni, Fiammamonza, and Milan between 1999 and 2004. During an era marked by prejudice and limited resources for women’s teams, Rosa stood out for her commitment: “We lived for passion,” she recounts. “At that time, there were many talented players like Patrizia Panico and Carolina Morace. That generation had excellent ball control and vision, but the athletic level was still behind. There was no professionalism, and we couldn’t train daily. We played football out of pride and passion, thinking about the future generations and their rights. Everything we achieved, we earned ourselves, with the help of a few passionate and enthusiastic presidents and coaches who believed in women’s football. There were no funds, no facilities like today, and no professionalism: everything was harder.”

Curiously, Como was destined to be part of Rosa’s journey even at the end of her playing career. After Milan, she was set to join Como 2000, but an injury prevented her from experiencing that chapter. “Years later, coaching here became a dream come true,” Rosa shares. “Being here feels like a return, an opportunity for personal and professional growth.”

Her connection to Italy never faded. Rosa and her family kept a home in Monza, and her bond with Italian football remained strong. “There’s a unique intensity in how football is lived here,” she explains. “I feel at home and love the passion and competitiveness that fill Italian clubs.”

Photo Credits: Mircea Gida

A vision for the future of Women’s Football

With a long career as a coach, Rosa is now a key resource for Como Women. Thanks to her experience, ranging from managing Finland’s youth teams to coaching competitive squads, she observes the evolution of women’s football with optimism but also emphasizes the work still needed in Italy: “We’ve made great strides, especially in the last five years, but more investment is required. The potential is there, and Italy has a deep football culture. Now we need funds and visibility to keep growing. Compared to countries like England, Italy still has a long way to go. The next step requires financial investment: without that, progress is impossible. Marketing and many other aspects need funding to grow the sport.”

However, the lack of financial investment isn’t the only challenge for the growth of women’s football. The problem is also societal: “We need to engage schools, local communities, and especially young girls more. We need to bring them to stadiums and closer to players so they can see themselves in them and find role models to inspire them. In this sense, many barriers still need to be broken.”

While there’s still much work to be done to give women’s football in Italy the visibility and importance it deserves, Rosa highlights the significant progress made compared to the past. “The biggest change I’ve seen in Italy over the last 25 years has been within clubs, in facilities, and in technical staff.”

In Italy, Rosa has found a sport in transition, more structured and ambitious than in the early 2000s. However, she notes that in Scandinavia, families are more open-minded: “There, women’s football is naturally accepted. Families are proud to have daughters who play football. In Italy, there’s still work to do on this front. Even today, parents often encourage their daughters to pursue other sports rather than football. Investments in the movement and the resulting visibility of the sector can help open minds and bring more young girls closer to the sport.”

Photo Credits: Mircea Gida

Football as personal growth and resilience

Rosa doesn’t limit herself to teaching technical skills. “I want to be an example and a support for them,” she says. “Football isn’t just about wins and losses but also about managing tough moments, both mentally and physically.” For Rosa, growing in the sport means facing challenges with resilience and knowing how to seek help:

“Today, the pressures are immense, and life is more hectic. I want the players to know they can rely on a support network and that there’s nothing wrong with asking for help, on or off the field. Passion and hard work should never wane, even when the environment and circumstances are not stimulating or motivating. My advice to them is to have fun and face everything with resilience and determination.”

Her philosophy also emphasizes the balance between sport and personal life, encouraging young athletes to remember that “football is important, but it’s not everything.”


Inspiration and role models

Rosa has drawn inspiration not only from teammates throughout her career but also from iconic figures like Elisabeth Rehn, a former Finnish politician and United Nations Under-Secretary-General, as well as a pioneer of women’s football in the 1960s and 1970s. “She represented a courageous figure to me,” Rosa says. “She paved the way for many women in sports and politics.”


An Ambitious Future with Como Women

Today, Rosa Lappi-Seppälä is a key figure for Como Women, aiming to elevate the club to the pinnacle of Italian women’s football. But her goal is also personal: to foster constant growth, not just as a coach but by creating an environment where players can reach their full potential. “Being an assistant is an enriching experience,” Rosa confides. “I’m learning a lot and seeing things from different perspectives, serving as a bridge between the staff and the players.”

Having led teams in Finland and the Saudi Arabian women’s national team, Rosa has always respected her assistants. Now, as one herself, her perspective has shifted: “I stepped out of my comfort zone by taking this role with Como Women. It’s true; there’s less responsibility as an assistant coach, but you have to be adaptable and skilled at acting as a link between the head coach, staff, and players. With Stefano Sottili, I’m learning new ways of explaining football and gaining so much from him.”