Lego, lash lifts and Reggie the dog - inside England's Euro 2025 success

BBC News

6 days ago

Everything had to be just right for the Lionesses behind the scenes on their way to victory at Euro 2025 - and it was.World-class accommodation, impressive Swiss hospitality and creative hobbies were all key to building England's resilience and keeping them relaxed. Here is what they got up to behind the scenes.
Reggie the dog in the 'Disney Castle'
The Football Association pulled out all of the stops to give England what captain Leah Williamson called "a home away from home".Their five-star hotel, the Dolder Grand, which sits proudly at the top of a steep hill overlooking the city centre of Zurich, was described as a "Disney Castle" by BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Katie Smith.To reach it, many would ride on the funicular - a type of cable railway - which had a stop just for hotel residents.Players would mingle in the reception areas with family members, having coffee or specialised Lionesses-branded Yorkshire tea. In their free time, they visited Lake Zurich, went exploring in the nearby hills and made use of the luxurious hotel spa for recovery and relaxation.When thunderstorms struck, midfielder Jess Park would watch and listen from her hotel balcony, overlooking the stunning views below.There was attention to detail in every corner, with shirts displaying the players' names hanging around the media centre, alongside a framed letter written by Wiegman thanking members of the press for their coverage.And perhaps best of all, the team had their own barista who brought along his dog Reggie. The cavapoo spent hours around the players, gatecrashing their 'diary room' videos, and was on hand when they missed their own pets.
Defender Lucy Bronze said England were "really calm" following their opening game defeat by France, knowing they had to beat the Netherlands in their second group game to stay in the tournament."Leah Williamson, Keira Walsh, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Beth Mead were playing Monopoly while I was building a jigsaw with Michelle Agyemang and Maya Le Tissier all morning," said Bronze. "We were pretty calm, we knew what we had to do. We couldn't dwell too much on the French game and we trained really well. It paid off."Bronze joked the jigsaw had been left in a "mess" but there were plenty of other hobbies to keep the Lionesses entertained.Aggie Beever-Jones took inspiration from Alex Greenwood and took up photography, adding pictures to her journal to create a memory book.Defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, who did not make an appearance at the Euros, turned to home comforts, bringing her sourdough starter for Lionesses chef Stuart to feed every day.
Lego, lash lifts and a piano delivered by the kitman
Building Lego is something forward Lauren Hemp has done for years. She built a Beauty and the Beast castle while in Switzerland, which she proudly carried as the Lionesses checked out of the hotel before flying home on Monday.Hemp managed to get others on board too, with teenager Agyemang also getting involved."I was building a really tiny stadium the other day because I was bored and suddenly Lucy [Bronze] was like, 'we can make this so much better'," said Agyemang, who was the breakout star of the tournament."I didn't know she had really good skills when it came to Lego. We made a replica of the stadium and now she wants to make it a tradition, so I think we'll have to do Geneva next time."Agyemang certainly kept herself busy, playing a piano that was brought over by the England kitman in a van."I play the piano, the bass guitar and the drums. I have my piano in my room so I'm spending a lot of time in there just playing and chilling," she told BBC Sport."It's 88 keys, so full size - but not a grand piano. It's very important. I don't think that there's a day that I go without playing it because it's right in front of me."Especially on game days, I probably spend about two hours just playing and enjoying myself. "With evening games, where they are six o'clock or nine o'clock [kick-offs], there is a lot of time within the day to just chill and that is what I do."Agyemang's piano playing has been so impressive it put off Williamson from playing, who performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Maida Vale Studios in December 2023 when she was recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury."I did bring a portable keyboard and I felt discouraged because I heard some of the other girls in the team had been playing theirs," said Williamson."I felt like I was too far behind so I left it. There's so much socialising to be done I don't have time for hobbies. I will pick that up when I get back."Meanwhile, defender Esme Morgan encouraged the squad to produce basketball trick shots for a social media video in the group stages.Chloe Kelly told BBC Sport that Morgan turned her room into a beauty salon to ensure the Lionesses looked their best on the big stage."We enjoy spending time together away from the pitch, which is really nice," said Kelly. "Whether that is Esme [Morgan] opening her beauty salon to do lash lifts, or sitting down and watching Love Island."It means when you go on to the pitch you know you've got each other's backs."
Wiegman's wash bag message
Wiegman is a meticulous planner so everything needed to be just right. She had brought objects into camps with the Netherlands that reminded her of home and used them as motivation. She revealed she did the same before England's semi-final win over Italy but wanted to keep it a secret.Wiegman encouraged players to tell their stories of how they had made it to the Euros, their footballing journeys and the personal battles they had faced.Each player was given a journal to write notes in and Beever-Jones kept a log of each morning's inspirational quote from the physio.Kelly admitted she had missed three penalties in training the day before scoring the decisive spot-kick in the shootout victory over Spain - but she was in an environment that allowed her to believe she could do it.
'We have noticed a real shift' - the role of the families
Family members played an important role, spending time at England's hotel and travelling across Switzerland to support them at games. "We have noticed a real shift. Certainly under Sarina [Wiegman], there has been an approach to have the family and friends engaged but know what our role is," Bronze's brother Jorge said. "We took Lucy to a play park and gave her a half-eaten cheese sandwich that my four-year-old didn't finish. "Everyone is having a slightly different experience but every player needs their own downtime in their own way. Our job as a family is to just give them that bit of normality. "Whether that's smashing her at table tennis or Mario Kart, to remind her I am still her older brother, or if it's just chatting things through. Whatever it is, that is what we are here to do for the players."Georgia Stanway's brother John Paul said their discussions were not really about football but were to bring "calmness".Former England midfielder Jill Scott, who retired after winning Euro 2022, said it was "so important for the families to be there". "You can get a coffee with your family, but at the same time there is no pressure to see them as well. The families tend to become a family away from the pitch," said Scott. "It's so nice they are having such a great time, it's like they are on holiday. I think they would rather be out with the other families having a beer than in camp."Scott played a key role behind the scenes in Switzerland, keeping friends Williamson and Walsh distracted and passing on words of wisdom."We can't get rid of her. I had a couple of conversations this tournament with Jill. She is a funny character and one of the less-serious people," said Williamson."She has so many experiences of her own, but also this incredible perspective. She does help us out. When she retired we were begging for the FA to employ her just to bring her along - so I'm glad that she is here. She is one of the greatest team-mates I have ever had."Scott said it was the "same job" she had in the squad when she played but it was clear the camaraderie Wiegman has instilled was even stronger this time around.The team behind the team were the team behind the dream as England delivered against all odds.