Swiss Stumble But Sundhage Rallies Euro 2025 Hosts

"This is erstwhile successful a lifetime, it will ne'er travel back."

Switzerland caput coach Pia Sundhage had been unequivocal successful her pre-match news convention arsenic she urged her players to "embrace nan pressure" of their opening crippled arsenic Euro 2025 hosts.

Yet erstwhile it came to it, nan Swiss did not get nan triumph they truthful severely craved successful Basel arsenic their first awesome women's tourney connected location ungraded began pinch a 2-1 conclusion by Norway.

The highly knowledgeable Sundhage knows each astir starring a big federation connected a large stage, having taken complaint of Sweden connected location ungraded astatine Euro 2013, thing she described arsenic "one of my champion years".

This clip her Switzerland squad threw distant a 1-0 lead and fell to conclusion successful sadistic fashion, pinch defender Julia Stierli's unfortunate ain extremity settling nan match.

Ada Hegerberg had cancelled retired Nadine Riesen's opener hardly 4 minutes earlier Stierli steered a debased transverse into her ain net.

It made nan Swiss nan first Women's Euros hosts to suffer their opening match, but dream still remains that they will scope nan knockout stage.

This tourney was not kickstarted pinch pre-match pyrotechnics aliases thing flashy. Instead nan opening ceremonial successful Basel was playful and entertaining arsenic performers danced pinch metallic tubes earlier a elephantine Women's Euros trophy was formed successful nan centre circle, surrounded by flags of each nan 16 countries competing successful Switzerland.

Sundhage's players seemed to return nan load of anticipation successful their stride early on, playing connected nan beforehand foot. They dominated two-time European champions Norway successful nan first half astatine a sold-out St Jakob-Park, but they could not spot nan occupation through.

Assessing whether her players embraced nan pressure, Sundhage said: "Oh yeah. I person ne'er seen that benignant of locker room antecedently and astatine nan edifice earlier we left.

"Step by step, nan champion portion is it's different players that usage their voice. We were prepared. I talked to them aft nan crippled and it's truthful important to usage your connection and your assemblage connection and words arsenic good aft conclusion because we still person a chance to play nan quarter-final."

That is nan connection now - Sundhage wants her broadside to make nan astir of their remaining Group A games against Iceland and Finland.

"We commencement pinch Iceland and if we play a bully crippled past we put ourselves successful a bully spot," she said.

"Be responsible for what you say, what you do and really you behave, because that is nan champion point for nan Swiss nationalist squad and nan Swiss people."

The Swiss group played their portion connected time 1 of nan tournament, and nan overwhelming emotion astir Basel connected nan opening time of Euro 2025 was pride.

Thousand of fans turned retired to march to nan stadium together, stepping 45 minutes from nan metropolis centre successful sweltering heat.

Temperatures whitethorn person been high, but truthful was nan Swiss spirit.

There were men and women, boys and girls, almost each wearing reddish shirts and embracing nan excitement of hosting nan prestigious tournament.

Supporters sang, chanted and rang cattle bells each nan way. Locals hung retired of their balconies to subordinate successful nan celebrations and location was a existent feel-good factor.

Sundhage's assignment successful 2024 brought immense excitement, pinch nan erstwhile Sweden and Brazil leader 1 of nan astir respected and knowledgeable figures successful nan women's game.

She went into Wednesday's games pinch a humble 7 wins successful 18 games arsenic Switzerland boss, but location was still plentifulness of goodwill towards her and nan squad from fans.

Some fans said of really hosting Euro 2025 felt for illustration a "new era" for women’s shot successful Switzerland, while others said nan federation conscionable wanted to get down their squad to push them complete nan line, alternatively past criticise strategies and performances.

The statement ambiance continued into nan ground, pinch Swiss fans loving each infinitesimal of their infinitesimal connected nan large stage.

Even though nan consequence was not what they wanted, nan fans ne'er wavered and stuck by their team.

An charismatic attendance of 34,063 was announced connected Wednesday - a large measurement for women's shot successful Switzerland.

They were selected to big Euro 2025 successful a bidding process which saw them hit Poland, France and a associated bid from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Uefa's caput of women's shot Nadine Kessler said Switzerland were nan underdogs successful nan bidding process and challenged them to "make thing retired of it".

Switzerland want to replicate England's occurrence arsenic hosts 3 years agone and dream Euro 2025 tin beryllium a springboard to thief turn their home women's game.

The Swiss Women's Super League is not yet professional. Attendances person risen successful nan build-up to Euro 2025 and Young Boys group an attendance grounds of 10,647 successful March, but past season's mean attendance crossed nan convention was conscionable 569.

With issues surrounding infrastructure, accessibility and pay, location is nan consciousness that Euro 2025 could beryllium nan turning constituent that Swiss women's shot needs.

"Right now, women's shot isn't successful a awesome spot successful Switzerland," journalist Helene Altgelt told nan BBC.

"The convention is severely underfunded, astir teams aren't professional, galore teams aren't playing successful a existent stadium truthful location is nary existent stands. This is unacceptable for women's shot successful 2025.

"The federation has realised this and now nan Euros tin beryllium a awesome infinitesimal to kickstart that alteration and guarantee women's shot is going to beryllium master and much girls tin unrecorded their dream of really surviving by playing shot and not having 3 broadside hustles aliases studying."

The Swiss Football Association has implemented an eager bequest programme that hopes to double nan number of girls and women playing shot successful Switzerland from 40,000 to 80,000. It besides hopes to double nan number of coaches and summation attendances successful nan convention by 2027.

As Sundhage said, this infinitesimal will ne'er travel back, but nan signs are affirmative that women's shot tin turn importantly successful Switzerland.

A triumph aliases ideally 2 from their squad complete nan adjacent week, however, would spell a agelong measurement to making judge of that.