The women’s football European Football in Switzerland begins on July 2. The inventory in the home league is sobering. But the future visions in the national team give hope.
Sometimes Kim is disillusioned. When she learns on Thursday before the league weekend that her away game takes place in a completely different place and on art- instead of on natural grass, the trainer of FC Basel’s women thinks in the wrong film. That doesn’t sound like the big football that the approaching European Championship promises in Switzerland, but after a stubborn amateur kick.
We have to ask ourselves how many young talents will leave Switzerland again in summer.
“Switzerland is in the back compared to other countries,” says Kulig. There is still a lot that could be improved in the league. A lot has changed in Basel in recent years. But the audience interest remains manageable, the performance gradient is large. And the former German international, for example, has never experienced a press conference after the game as a trainer in Switzerland.
She looks at the big picture: “The clubs in Switzerland have to make a decision: is it just a training league or more?” With a view to the European Championship tournament, she speaks of “an exciting phase. But I am already afraid and fear that Switzerland will continue to be left behind.”
Swiss clubs in the Champions League without a chance
A look at the results in the Champions League nourishes this concern: In unsightly regularity, the Swiss champions have always failed at the opening hurdle in recent years – either in the play -offs, such as Servette Geneva this season, or pointless in the group phase such as FC Zurich in the past season or Geneva the year before.
The last victory dates from the 2018/2019 season. Before the Champions League reform, Zurich survived the first co-round with two victories against Honka Espoo from Finland. After two defeats against FC Bayern, however, two ended in round.
Sundhage and Angerer are sitting on the bench at the national team
The successes of the national team are also manageable. At the World Cup, the team was twice in the round of 16 (2015/2023), but at the European Championships two times after the preliminary round was over. It fits that Switzerland in the Nations League has remained without a win in the first two games.
With the former world coach Pia Sundhage, a great hopeful person is sitting on the bench. And with Nadine Angerer, who became world champion with Germany in 2003 and 2007, the Swede brought prominent reinforcements into the team as a goalkeeper trainer.
“I don’t really like such sayings: But you can say that the way to the European Championship is the goal,” explains the 46-year-old Angerer. “We use the time to build and develop something. The tournament is then our reward.”
The young players should carry the old ones away
Many Swiss people play in the Bundesliga. Some also play in the up-and-coming series A in Italy like Alisha Lehmann, in England like Lia Wälti or in the USA like Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic. The only 18-year-old Sydney Scherten body, who switched to Champions League winner FC Barcelona last summer, stands for the young savages, of whom Angerer also hopes for a lot.
We use the time to build and develop something. The tournament is then our reward.
“Pia has started a change and it takes time. But we now have a good mix of experience and young players,” she explains. “The old lead, but can also be carried away by the carefree of the young.”
Does the 0: 6 against Germany still work?
A certain inconsistency is normal. The 0: 6 against Germany last November was ticked off. “We also beat France, played 1: 1 against Australia and only lost 0: 1 against England,” says Angerer and derives from it: “We are not far away. But we often lack the last step to be able to annoy the big annoyance.”
Em should not be a “mayfly” for Switzerland
Kulig hopes for a successful European Championship – not least to facilitate your own work. “It is difficult to put together a good team. This is the biggest challenge,” reports the 34-year-old, who also benefited from the start of Basel a year and a half ago, “that the project in Basel has already been interested in many players”. But international competition is recovered.
So the European Championships possibly only one party in the summer of 2025? Angerer weighs off: “The home tournament is of course associated with the hope and the goal that it will come differently. We want to be successful for that.” The association had put on some projects “so that women’s football remains present even after the European Championship”.
In any case, the tournament should not be a “mayfly”. And maybe Kulig will be surprised again in the coming season – but then in a positive way.