Switzerland's fans are on the march. Can they ensure the game really is ‘here to stay'?
There are almost two hours to go until kick-off and the mile perimeter around the Wankdorf Stadium is cordoned off, a momentary Switzerland dominion for the Euro 2025 host's quarter-final against Spain. A crimson placard screams from the fan march: 'Here To Stay.'
At the risk of spoiling the ending, the hosts do not stay in Euro 2025. Spain beat Switzerland 2-0, Aitana Bonmati eventually prising open Switzerland's dogged defence in the 66th minute to feed Athenea del Castillo.
That this game demanded two moments of pure brilliance surprised some. Spain are world champions; Switzerland qualified for their first major tournament a decade ago. The latter had never escaped the group stages — until now.
The 15,000-strong Swiss fan march moves north towards the stadium purposefully, but slowly. Much in the same way that the locals here drift down the River Are, content to be swept up, knowing sometimes it is better not just to be in the present but to lose yourself in it, before having to eventually clamber to shore.
So beers are toasted. Chants sung. A brass band quartet erupts into song while sitting atop some aesthetic-looking Swiss rocks. Even the queues for the portaloos — growing around corners — endure their wait with inexplicable fulfilment.
Before kick-off, the Wankdorf is ear-splitting, each home player's name met with acclaim. When Spain's Mariona Caldentey drags her penalty wide in the eighth minute, a beer is released into the sky, and from there, all inhibitions are gone.
As the half-time whistle blows with the score at 0-0, Spain head coach Montse Tome's brow is furrowed. The noise inside the stadium is deafening. At times, it is beautiful. At others, it is beautifully furious: at Laia Aleixandri's inexplicable escape of a second yellow card in the first half, at the penalty awarded to Alexia Putellas (also missed). Finally, at their journey suddenly ended.
For Jennifer Dinges, the reality is dizzying.
One of the three co-founders of the Switzerland Women's fan group alongside Celine Plee and Amy Owen (their friendship formed over their mutual appreciation of the former Arsenal and Switzerland international Malin Gut), Dinges recalls a Swiss Women's fan march last year involving a couple of hundred people, if that.
'No structure, no order,' she says. Over the past three years, the international matches she attended vacillated in supporters between 1,000 to 7,000.
Before the European Championship, the trio knew change was paramount. They lobbied former Swiss FA head of women's and girls' football Tatjana Haenni for advice.
'She told us just to do it (the fan march),' Dinges says. 'If it picks up, which it would, people would follow.'
They have. Nearly 5,000 turned out to watch Switzerland's open training sessions in the days leading to Friday's quarter-final. The 32,000-capacity Wankdorf was sold out.
While Switzerland is a country that knows how to relish the present, considering the future has never been more critical.
Records have been shattered here. The previous record aggregate group stage attendance (369,314) set at Euro 2022 was beaten by the end of matchday two, eventually totalling 461,582. A new record cumulative quarter-final crowd was set on Friday at 78,407, with another game in this round still to go.
For a federation jeered for being too small to host the European Championship during the bidding process in 2022, such numbers are validation.
But there is also the potential for a longer-lasting impact. 'Conservative' was the word Haenni used to describe the nation's historic relationship with women's football, a simple enough word carrying heavy baggage — from the outright banning of the sport in the 1920s to hostility towards women who defied it and eventually an apathetic acceptance of its existence.
'To actually see a Swiss country, which is quite reserved, make this kind of fun, follow women's football like this…' Dinges drifts off. Because for someone who was once one of a few hundred singing the anthem in an echo, the sentence has no clear end. Neither does this movement.
Ensuring it is positive relies on harnessing the imagination that has so obviously been captured here.
England provide a compelling blueprint. After hosting, and winning, Euro 2022, women's football enjoyed exponential growth in the country. According to its Football Association (FA), by 2024, 129,000 more girls became involved in school football across the host cities. Another 34,025 more women and girls were participating in football for recreational purposes, plus a further 10,356 playing competitively. The total attendance during the 2022-23 Women's Super League (WSL) season surpassed 680,000, 172 per cent higher than the 2021-22 season.
For a nation still without a professional domestic league (the Switzerland Women's Super League operates as semi-professional), such growth is ambitious but not out of the equation. The Swiss FA launched a project looking to the future, which runs to the end of 2027. Targets are set to double the number of girls and women playing football in Switzerland from 40,000 to 80,000 by 2027, with the number of women working as coaches and referees also to be doubled from 2,500 to 5,000. There are also aims to at least double the number of the league's consumers (TV viewers and social media followers).
But its main ambition is precisely that which was burned into a crimson-painted 2×2 cardboard placard. To stay. To maintain the present in the future.
'People showing up afterwards, like England,' says Dinges. 'That's the dream.'
At full time, the stadium remained flooded in red, fans applauding the players as they made their way around the pitch. For now, they are staying.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Switzerland, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England started the Euros being doubted - but showed resolve, resilience and relentlessness
Being with the Lionesses before they boarded their bus - for a late night of partying - was to intrude in celebrations but glimpse into the mindset of champions.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bolton football's Joshua Henderson, 16, dies after complications from heat stroke
Joshua Henderson, a Bolton High School football player who'd been hospitalized since collapsing during a July 7 practice, died on July 26, Memphis Shelby County Schools announced in a statement on July 27. "It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of a beloved Bolton High School (BHS) student, Joshua Henderson," said MSCS. "He was not only an exceptional athlete and dedicated scholar, but also a source of light and joy to all who knew him. His kindness, determination, and positive spirit left a lasting impression on classmates, teachers, and our entire BHS community." On a GoFundMe page being used to raise money for funeral expenses, Henderson's family wrote that he suffered a severe heat stroke and had been receiving treatment at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. "After bravely fighting for his life in the hospital, Josh transitioned due to complications from organ failure caused by a severe heat stroke," the family wrote. "Josh was only 16 years old, full of life, laughter, and promise. He was deeply loved by his parents, siblings, extended family, and all who knew him. His sudden loss has left our hearts shattered and our world forever changed." MSCS said that grief counselors and support staff will be available at the school in the coming days for any students in need. Bolton finished 8-3 last season, and is slated to begin it's season vs. White Station on Aug. 22. Wendell Shepherd Jr. is The Commercial Appeal's high school sports beat writer. Reach Wendell at or on X @wendellsjr_. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Bolton football player dies at 16 from heat stroke complications
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Steelers-Packers trade pitch sends $5M dual-threat QB to Pittsburgh as Aaron Rodgers' successor
The Pittsburgh Steelers are already thinking beyond this season with Aaron Rodgers. The veteran quarterback has made it clear that this will likely be his final year in the NFL. Bringing Rodgers to the Steel City took time, but he stayed committed to the verbal agreement he gave the franchise. 'I just think verbally, behind the scenes, not that he guaranteed it, but he's told [the Steelers], 'Listen, I'm gonna play for you. I just don't want to go there and then miss part of mandatory minicamp because of my personal issues. I'm pretty sure they're gonna be solved by the end of May, at least in my satisfaction where I can give you my all,'' Ian O'Connor said. Rodgers has entered the season with a renewed mindset—he wants to win it all. He's also in the best shape of his life, something he's made a clear point of emphasis. 'I can say here—and I think I'm 100 percent right—[Rodgers] is in the best shape and changed his body a little bit to fit who he really is,' said Super Bowl champion Phil Simms on his podcast. Rodgers shared that his decision to return this season was deeply personal, driven by how much football still means to him. Looking ahead, the Steelers may already be preparing for a post-Rodgers era. One option on the table is acquiring quarterback Malik Willis from the Packers via trade. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp 'The Steelers should also consider kicking the tires on Willis. Aaron Rodgers isn't a long-term solution in Pittsburgh, and Willis' dual-threat skill set would fit the system of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers wanted to bring back Fields before losing him to the Jets and pivoting to Rodgers,' Bleacher Report's Kevin Knox wrote. Willis hasn't had much opportunity to prove himself as a starter since being drafted by the Titans. With three wins in just five starts, he's simply looking for a chance—and if he capitalizes on it, he could become the Steelers' long-term answer at quarterback.