Italy under-16 coach Patrizia Panico says that while she enjoyed her time in the spotlight on Wednesday, she hopes it soon becomes normal to see a woman coaching a men's team.
Panico took charge of Italy's 4-1 friendly defeat to Germany and the media interest in her debut as the first female coach to lead a male national selection for Italy was substantial.
"But it never got to me," Panico told the Italian Football Federation's official website. "I'm a very balanced person and don't let emotions get the better of me, even if I have to admit that listening to the national anthem always gives you a great feeling.
"I just hope that all this becomes normal as soon as possible, not because women are better than men but because it's only fair that everybody is given the same opportunity for training and work. In the end, meritocracy should always prevail.
"I've received plenty of messages from colleagues who all hope this could be the start of something new. I just hope that my example can become something we can take for granted, which would mean that women have reached an important level of emancipation also in sport. Let's hope that this step has seen us make that move into the fast lane."
Wednesday's fixture saw experimentation with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) used in a "live" mode, and it was implemented to amend the referee's awarding of a penalty to Germany due to an offside decision not seen in the run-up to the foul inside the penalty area.
"The VARs agreed that the penalty was a correct decision, but when they saw the images again, they realised that the German attacker was about 50 centimetres offside and so they informed [referee Daniele] Orsato," Roberto Rosetti, who is overseeing the VAR project in Italy, said. "The way this incident was dealt with was excellent and viewing it took a total of 14 seconds."