Not only do the English want to live up to their role as favourites, they are also struggling not to have to pack up again just before the final or experience a bitter disappointment in the final. This is what happened in 2017 when the semi-finals were over against the Netherlands or in 2009 when Germany became European champions, the English women only got the runner-up title.
Wiegman gave Team new strength
This should also be possible thanks to Wiegman. The Dutch coach knows how to triumph. She won the European Championship title with the women of her home country in 2017 and was then elected Fifa world coach. She has been coaching the “Lionesses” since the end of 2021. And: She has now sparked new energy in players. Especially in Beth Mead.
Under England’s ex-national coach Phil Neville, the offensive star had to take a lot of criticism for being “too relaxed”. In addition, Mead was not part of the England Olympic squad last year. The striker is now more comfortable under Wiegman, saying after beating Norway on Matchday 2: “I love playing for this team.”
Team-mate Ellen White is delighted with the striker’s performance: “Beth Mead is incredible. She’s such a lovely person. (…) I’m very proud of the squad and hopefully everyone in the audience will be proud of this English team too.”
“Why don’t you just have fun?”
As a success factor, Sarina Wiegman relies on one thing above all: joy. As she said in a press conference before the tournament: “As a player, I sometimes felt like I wasn’t enjoying it enough. I worked so hard. You are there, you do what you love most, you give yours Best, so why don’t you just have fun?”
Your concept with the team seems to be working – you can see the fun in your team. And that would stay with a win against Sweden. Then it would fight for the first European title in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley.