Cooling vests, slush puppies, and cryotherapy: How England are battling the heat at Euro 2025

Independent

12 hours ago

England players are wearing cooling vests during training sessions, filling their drinks with crushed ice, and using cryotherapy chambers for recovery to combat the scorching temperatures in Switzerland ahead of their opening game of Euro 2025 on Saturday.
The Lionesses kick off their title defence against France in Zurich, when temperatures across the country are likely to have cooled slightly, but their preparations for their opening game have come amid extreme heat warnings as the tournament begins.
England did not alter the time of their training on Tuesday, which took place at midday and in around 34C conditions in Zurich, but followed special procedures in an attempt to keep players' body temperatures down during their session and afterwards to aid their recovery.
Head coach Sarina Wiegman said she was not concerned by the heatwave ahead of England's first game against France, which kicks off at 9pm local time, but revealed how her players are managing with the heat during the build-up to Saturday's game.
'We could already practise it in the first week of our training camp because in England it was really hot too, so we have these cold vests, we have [an] ice box, ice drinks they can drink before training session they could also cool down a bit, get your temperature a little bit lower with slush puppies [iced drinks].
'We have ice cold towels at the rest moments in the training sessions ,they get the towels if they want to. So we make sure we are hydrated. Take another rest, don't go in and out all the time, for recovery, and do those things to keep your body temperature low.'
Wiegman praised the strategy and preparation that has gone into England's Euros campaign, as the Lionesses look to defend the title they won on home soil three years ago.
'If you see now the training pitch, all the things we need to do, the gym, the strategies we have to cool down, we have ice, we have cryo, all the things that help getting prepared for the tournament so it's not just one thing,' Wiegman said.
Extreme heat warnings in Switzerland were extended to cover the first three days of Euro 2025 as the tournament kicked off amid scorching temperatures.
Uefa relaxed security rules around supporters bringing water bottles into stadiums while fan parks had free sunscreen available at Switzerland's opening game against Norway in Basel on Wednesday night.
The temperature in Basel reached around 35C on Wednesday, dropping to around the high-20s by the 9pm local kick-off at St Jakob-Park. The temperature was also 30C when Finland and Iceland played in the opening game of the tournament in Thun.
Uefa allow cooling breaks to allow players to rehydrate when temperatures are above 35C, but referees may also take the decision to allow stoppages in extremely hot conditions.