Thousands of training sessions, sold-out stadiums, mega switching rates: in Switzerland they discovered women’s football. Trainer Pia Sundhage has a large part, who would have liked to send some.
The city of Bern wants to celebrate. The European women – and above all their “Nati”, their national team. “The outstanding performance of the Swiss, regardless of the game outcome, is celebrated in the city of Bern with a free night,” said the city.
Translated: The hospitality industry can host visitors all night. The fan zone on the Bundesplatz is open until 0.30 a.m.
Turned mood in Switzerland
It is a different picture than there was a short start before the tournament start. Because a week before the start of the EM it was restless in Switzerland. A video circulated on social networks. The women’s national team had lost 1: 7. Against a selection of 15-year-old boys from FC Lucerne.
The figurehead of Swiss women’s football on the border with the ridicule of an entire nation. A fiasco threatens, non-Geden observers, and that of all people at the home European Championship. At the center of criticism: chief coach Pia Sundhage.
Criticism of Sundhage’s training and style
According to her critics, the highly decorated and internationally experienced trainer made great mistakes in preparation. Players wailed through units in which they had to go beyond their borders. Top-Physis is desirable, but what Sundhage would demand from them were unreasonable.
The lousy atmosphere, it fit perfectly into the picture of a not healing world of the national team. Because after Sundhage’s takeover in January 2024, many things didn’t get better at first, but rather worse than it was before.
When Sundhage started, many things got worse at first
The singing and soundless descent from the Nations League, many injured in the team, former supports of the team, no longer taken into account by the team, no clear number one in goal until one week before the start of the tournament, lack of confidence and finally this 1: 7 against a U15 selection.
Quite a few seemed to be so far as to make an application to postpone the European Championship at UEFA. Sundhage not. The Swede remained calm. “If it counts, Switzerland will be ready,” she repeatedly repeated her trust in the team and her own ideas.
Long career, many successes
She has many of them – collected at her stations in China, the USA, Sweden and Brazil. Two Olympic victories, Vice World Champion, World Commercose of the Year. Not many can show that. And yet the Swiss struggled with Sundhage for a long time.
At 65 she was getting a bit old, it said behind the scenes. Your training methodology and team leadership would no longer be up to date. In the past, when she reached the guitar herself and made a kind of “campfire atmosphere” in the evening after eating in the team hotel, it was still possible to capture the players with this type of communication. In America, for example, she was celebrated for this. But today?
When the Swiss lost the opening game against Norway 1: 2, the disappointment was great, but the criticism was manageable. After all, the Swiss Corporation had fought well. Especially since it was indicated: Sundhage’s preparation, their idea and the composition of the team could make sense. Also their tactical variants.
When I started in early 2024, the air was outside after 60 minutes. Without physical fitness, you also mentally fall into the negative.
Super talent Iman Beney suddenly defended, Riola Xhemaili, who was often barely noticed, played refreshing and goalkeeper Livia Peng, who had received the trainer’s trust late, gave a strong impression. In addition, in phases: joy of playing and dynamics. And always: ability to suffer and team spirit.
“When I started at the beginning of 2024, the air was outside after 60 minutes. Without physical fitness, you also mentally fall into the negative, so one of my first measures was high-performance training,” clarifies Sundhage. At the latest after the late qualification for the quarter-finals by the last minute draw against Finland (1: 1), a mental and physical effort, most critics stopped.
Switzerland is euphoric, Sundhage remains calm
Even if Sundhage described the draw as the most beautiful draw in her life, it does not fall in euphoria. It is nice to play well, she says, to score points, but much nicer.
The euphoria in the country, however, is growing. Almost 900,000 people saw the team’s first appearance. An outstanding TV quota at alpine skiing level. When the Swiss hit Iceland four days later (2-0), they were also on the front pages of the newspapers – the Sydney Schertenleibs, Géraldine Reutelers and Xhemailis.
I am proud of Switzerland – but hey: ‘We’re not finished yet!’
Her goal in added time against Switzerland provided the emotional explosion of Geneva and an ever increasing pride of the Swiss on her team. Sundhage, who describes itself as a “stubborn”, has delivered.
Now Spain is the world champions in Europe, the best team in Europe. “It is beautiful what we triggered,” Sundhage called the fans on Lake Thun, the base camp of the hosts. “I’m proud of Switzerland – but hey: ‘We’re not finished yet!'”
Germany’s goalkeeper legend Nadine Angerer, in Sundhage’s coaching team and actually rather calm, raves about Sundhage. “When Pia calls you, the decision is easy,” she explains in the sports show conversation. She was packed by the aura of the Swede. The people in Switzerland are also more and more. And the city of Bern wants to celebrate that. Regardless of the outcome of the game.