
Reliable Sweden meet unpredictable England in a contest of razor-thin margins
And unless you decided to peer particularly closely, you might not even notice that the homeless man in the doorway of the Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich is not a human being at all but a hyper-realistic sculpture called The Traveler, created by an American artist called Duane Hanson in the 1980s and bought by the Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich in the late 2000s as a symbol of … well, what exactly?
We can assume for starters that the juxtaposition is not accidental. So why does a Swiss luxury hotel where rooms cost upwards of £1,000 a night choose to install a sculpture of a homeless man at its front door? An act of subversive arch provocation towards its moneyed guests? A kind of postmodern soul food disguised as an act of subversive arch provocation? Is it supposed to challenge or is it supposed to comfort?
'Selling rooms alone is not enough today,' says the hotel director Markus Granelli. 'We have to entertain people.' But Hanson – who died in 1996 – never regarded himself as an entertainer so much as a truth-teller, a faithful chronicler of the American working class whose work always had an overtly political dimension. How would he feel about this piece being presented in this setting?
And – more pertinently, for our purposes – how do England's footballers feel when they see it? Does it discomfort them, titillate them, gross them out? Where do their ultimate sympathies lie? With the browbeaten outsider? Or with the luxury brand graciously allowing this fibreglass vagrant to shelter in its doorway?
Perhaps it was quietly telling that thoughts on the England bus back from St Gallen after their 6-1 win over Wales had already begun to turn towards Zurich, where they will play their quarter-final against Sweden on Thursday night. 'We were so excited to get back to the hotel,' Lucy Bronze said. 'Zurich's like our little home stadium now. We've made it our little Wembley.'
England love this place. They love the luxury, they love the seclusion, they love the swimming lake and the running trails, the padel courts and the dinky coffee shops. They love the way it is a place you can explore and also a place you can escape. The contrast with Terrigal at the 2023 World Cup, a delightful New South Wales coastal resort that also felt a significant distance from anywhere remotely interesting, is manifest.
Sweden secured their qualification for this European Championship in a playoff in December 2024, by which time most of the plum Swiss resorts had been snapped up. They then lost a coin toss with the Netherlands for first choice of the rest. So they ended up rejecting the Uefa‑approved five-star hotel they were offered and taking rooms in a sports complex near Zug where construction works are still taking place on the exterior. Not luxurious, by any stretch of the imagination. But in many ways the perfect place to gestate the gritty underdog mentality that has brought them to their ninth consecutive knockout stage of a major tournament.
England 4-0 Sweden, 26 July 2022, Sheffield
"One of the best goals you will ever see," the former England defender Stephen Warnock said – and few disagreed. Alessia Russo's audacious backheel nutmeg sealed England's third in style, a goal of the tournament winner from the bench. The Euro 2022 semi-final against Sweden played out like a dream: Beth Mead opened the scoring, Lucy Bronze powered in a header, and Fran Kirby's clever lob capped it off. Four goals, four statements. The Lionesses were ruthless. Sweden simply had no reply.
England 1-1 Sweden, 5 April 2024, London
Sweden looked nothing like the side torn apart at Euro 2022. In a closely contested qualifier, they held firm against an England team dominant in possession but short on chances. Alessia Russo, once again in imperious form, broke through with a striker's dream – a one-on-one calmly slotted home. Both sides grew bolder as the game wore on. A moment's lapse from the Lionesses and Sweden's rising star Rosa Kafaji Roflo punished them with an electric equaliser – well-earned.
Sweden 0-0 England, 16 July 2024, Gothenburg
It may have ended goalless but England got what they came for. A draw in Gothenburg sealed their place at Euro 2025. "Keeping it to 0-0, qualifying from a very hard group – I'm very relieved," the head coach, Sarina Wiegman, said. The Lionesses impressed early but faded, relying on the goalkeeper Hannah Hampton to keep their clean sheet. Georgia Stanway came closest to scoring with a strike from distance. Sweden, backed by a lively home crowd, failed to capitalise on the buzz.
Nasra Abdi
This was the danger to which Leah Williamson was alluding when she described Sweden as a 'relentless' tournament side. There is an argument to be made that alongside the United States, Sweden are the most consistent international team on the planet: eight straight quarter-finals in the Euros, eight out of nine group-stage progressions in the World Cup (and the other denied on goal difference), to go with Olympic finals in 2016 and 2021.
Here they won a group almost as tough as England's, smashing Germany 4-1 in the process. In a way they are a model of tournament consistency and as such the perfect gauge of England's progress through this tournament: have Sarina Wiegman's side genuinely improved, or has the quality of their opponents, from France to the Netherlands to Wales, simply got progressively worse?
One of Wiegman's great strengths is in not overburdening her players with tactical or technical knowledge, in striking the right balance between work and play. This is particularly germane during the knockout stages, with their subtly different energy, where there is always a balance to be struck between complacency and anxiety. Prepare too little and you send the wrong message. Prepare too much and you send frissons of panic through the squad. Sweden deserve respect, but not to an excessive extent. So how to play it?
Sign up to Moving the Goalposts
No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football
after newsletter promotion
Perhaps the perfect clip is Sweden's second goal against Germany, a goal created by Nathalie Björn's enterprising run out of defence, drawing opponents towards her and finding Smilla Holmberg, who ultimately scores. But at a crucial moment Björn almost loses the ball to Elisa Senss, retaining possession through a fortuitous deflection. Had she been tackled, Germany would have had a three-on-two break.
These are the margins at this level. And even if we disregard the fact that at this tournament Germany have been the footballing equivalent of the password 'password123', here lies both the threat and the opportunity for England, whose pressing in the Sweden half needs to be perfect.
The veteran playmaker Kosovare Asllani remembers their first training session under Peter Gerhardsson in 2017, when the coach stepped in to warn the defence not to keep kicking the ball away, to trust in their technical ability, to risk giving the ball away in the knowledge that they could always get it back. In so doing Gerhardsson – who will be replaced by Tony Gustavsson after the tournament – helped to shed Sweden's self-image as a team reliant on physicality and set pieces.
Which is not to deny the extent to which Sweden can still mix it. Sweden and England are the tournament's two highest scorers in terms of expected goals, the two most prolific crossers. Sweden have committed the joint-most fouls, while earning the joint-fewest yellow cards. And even if Gerhardsson hates the term 'adaptation' because of its defensive connotations, this is a team familiar with their own method, with multiple ways of hurting you.
Sweden's reliability has made them a tournament team to be respected. But by the same token England's unpredictability has made them a tournament team to be feared. In 2022 and again in 2023, they exhibited an expert ability to focus their efforts where they would be most needed, the ability to do just enough to win. There are goals coming from all areas of the pitch. This may just be the worst time to play them.
And here, perhaps, lies the real meaning of the sculpture in the doorway: a deliberate note of dissonance, an implied challenge to the super-rich. Here we all are, looking at the stars. But we are only ever one misstep from the gutter.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
19 minutes ago
- BBC News
Calandagan storms to King George triumph at Ascot
French favourite Calandagan came from behind to pass Kalpana and win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at ridden by Mickael Barzalona, provided trainer Francis-Henri Graffard with his second successive triumph after Goliath last 11-10 favourite's attitude was questioned after he lost out in a tight finish to Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup at Epsom last month but there was no doubting his resolution this time."I'm so pleased for this horse," said Graffard after Calandagan, running in the green and red colours of the Aga Khan, won by a Brueghel, trained by Aidan O'Brien, made the running at a steady pace before eventual runner-up Kalpana hit the front going to the final furlong. Rebel's Romance, who was boxed in on the rail, finished third in the five-runner race. The King George is a highlight of the Flat racing season and it was announced on Saturday the contest will become Britain's richest race next year with a prize fund of £ a purse of £1.5m this year, along with the Derby at Epsom, its roll call of winners include greats such as Nijinsky, Shergar, Dancing Brave and 2025 King George renewal was the 75th running of the race and came 50 years after Grundy beat Bustino in an epic billed as 'the race of the century'.


Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Telegraph
How over-tourism turned a chic Paris neighbourhood into a theme park
Michèle Barrière has had a lifelong love affair with Montmartre, living a stone's throw from the Moulin Rouge for the past 30 years. She has frequented its ivy-clad cafes and pastel houses for twice as long and has always embraced the changes to her beloved 'butte', as locals call the hilltop area with sweeping views of Paris. 'But enough is enough,' said the 72-year-old as she marched past souvenir shops and tour groups with her corgi, Valentine. 'Montmartre has become an amusement park, and we are the attractions. Soon they'll be throwing us peanuts,' she scoffed. 'It's Disneyland.' With its cobbled streets, windmills, vineyard, funicular railway, and bohemian history, Montmartre has long been popular with foreign visitors. The white-domed Sacré-Coeur basilica and the portrait artists of Place du Tertre have been a magnet for decades. But many among the district's 27,000 residents now say cohabitation with millions of tourists, who outnumber them 423 to one, has reached breaking point. Last year, the Sacré-Coeur was the most visited monument in France, ahead of the Eiffel Tower, with 11 million visitors. Montmartre now has an even denser tourist zone per capita than Venice. 'It has got totally out of hand. I have nothing against tourists per se, but now my prevailing feeling is one of hostility,' said Ms Barrière, an author of historic and culinary detective works. 'Sometimes I can't even reach my front door due to these hordes.' To prove her point, she shooed a tour group coming up the Rue de l'Abreuvoir with a royal wave as if they were pesky pigeons. Valentine, the corgi, looked on placidly. Eric Durand, a photographer, resident and member of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre and the 18th Arrondissement, said tourism had gone into overdrive since the end of the Covid lockdowns. 'Before, it was mainly felt on weekends when the weather was nice. Since the end of the pandemic, and even more so since the Olympic Games [last summer], it's been like this all year round,' referring to the crowds of tourists outside his home. He said the influx of tourists started with the 2001 cult movie Amélie. Tourists continue to flock to the Café des Deux Moulins, where scenes showing the heroine at work were shot. The Netflix series Emily in Paris brought even more tourists, who seek out sites that feature in the show such as La Maison Rose restaurant, or the Wall of Love in a garden off the Place des Abbesses with 'I love you' written in a myriad of languages on ceramic tiles. 'We saw it on the show and on TikTok so we thought it would be fun to come,' said Jen Park, a New Yorker who posed with her husband Bruce in a pit-stop during their trip to attend a wedding in Paris. Then last year, the Paris Olympics brought the road bike race to Montmartre with images beaming around the world of cyclists hurtling up Rue Lepic with a crowd of 55,000 cheering them on. As if that wasn't enough extra publicity, on Sunday July 27, the final stage of the Tour de France will make a detour via Montmartre for the first time ever, before riders finish on the Champs-Elysées. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, personally announced the news. 'It's obviously great for business, but I do understand local residents' gripes about the number of people,' said Julien Ogeard, the 34-year-old manager of Le Nazir, whose boss is a cycling fan and is thrilled the Tour will pass by their cafe. 'My fear,' said Mr Durand, 'is that the tourists are now moving down the hill and saturating other areas, particularly Abbesses, which has become one long line of tourist terraces.' He added: 'We already had one amusement park at the top, now we risk having a second below. 'Montmartre is losing its soul. I'm thinking of moving out, and I'm not the only one.' Revolt has been brewing since the recent introduction of new traffic restrictions. There are fears it will force families to leave, and drive small shops that serve residents, such as butchers and greengrocers, out of business. Meanwhile, they say gas-guzzling tourist sidecars and Citroen 2CVs continue to hurtle down cobbled streets, scaring people. Others complain about rocketing real estate prices, with flats selling for up to €15,000 (£13,000) per square metre. Tourist rentals, meanwhile, are pushing out local families, who are leaving en masse. Between 20 and 30 per cent of properties are Airbnb listings, 'and that's not counting undeclared rentals,' said Brice Moyse of Immopolis agency and president of the Lepic-Abbesses shopkeepers' association. 'In the neighbourhood, long-term rentals have disappeared,' he told Le Monde newspaper. In recent months, banners have appeared in windows with messages such as 'Forgotten residents!', 'Let the Montmartrois live!' and 'Behind these façades there are people'. But also, on school buildings: 'No to class closures!' 'It's the same problem across Paris: the socialist town hall takes decisions without ever properly consulting residents,' said Béatrice Dunner, a translator who has lived in the neighbourhood since 1976. As president of the Association for the Defence of Montmartre and the 18th Arrondissement, she is drawing up a white paper she hopes the candidates the city's mayoral elections next year will adopt. She said Amsterdam, Barcelona and Majorca were models. Ms Dunner's proposed measures include higher tourist taxes on hotels and tougher regulations and checks on tourist accommodation, as well as limiting tourist group sizes. Other options are a ban on tour guide intercoms and pre-empting more commercial leases to avoid yet more shops selling Chinese-made Emily in Paris berets. 'We also need to decide, at the national level, whether we want yet more tourists,' Ms Dunner added. Last year, the Paris region welcomed 22.6 million visitors. In one bastion of resistance, at La Cave des Abbesses, a group of residents popped the cork off a bottle of crémant de Bourgogne and handed out glasses of red as the clock struck the aperitif hour of 6pm. 'We still meet up and it is still a life for locals, but look around, there used to be three bookshops, a sweetshop for kids from the local school, a drugstore. Now they're all brand stores. They're the only ones who can pay the rent,' said Sabine Bouillet, who works in a tea shop. 'I'm not happy at all,' said Olivier Boukhobza, 36, a resident who works for Le Vrai Montmartre (The Real Montmartre), which creates profiles of locals. 'The real acceleration came in the past five years with the rise of influencers and Instagrammers who post from Montmartre and make it a must-see location.' 'We need to find the right balance between tourists, locals and those who work here. Right now, it's the tourists who have the upper hand.'


Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tom Cruise, 63, grins and waves as he lands in London on his helicopter with his 'new love' Ana de Armas, 37, and her beloved dogs
appeared to be in jovial spirits as he landed in London on his helicopter with his 'new love' Ana de Armas. The Hollywood star, 63, and the Blonde actress, 37, were first linked in February and have been spotted travelling together on many occasions since then. In their latest trip, the pair touched down in London on Friday and travelled in A-list style as they stepped out of Tom's lavish helicopter together. Tom cut a casual figure in a blue T-shirt and dark jeans, which he styled with white trainers and slung a backpack over one shoulder. The Mission: Impossible star appeared to be in jovial spirits as he flashed a huge smile and waved after stepping out the helicopter. He was joined by Ana, who cut a sporty figure in black leggings and a grey ' Vermont ' sweater, which she styled with comfortable black shoes. He was joined by his 'new love' Ana de Armas, who cut a sporty figure in black leggings and a grey sweater, which she styled with comfortable black shoes She brought her two beloved dogs with her on their travels and sweetly cradled her Maltese Elvis in her arms while Havanese pup Salsa walked alongside her. Former racing driver David Coulthard also joined the group and was seen strolling alongside Tom upon his arrival in London. The F1 star, 54, looked smart in a polo shirt and navy jeans, which he styled with a black bomber jacket during the outing. Tom and Ana were first linked on Valentine's Day of this year and have been frequently seen in each other's company since. Though they have not yet commented on their relationship, they jetted off for a sun-soaked trip to Menorca earlier this month. They were photographed looking very comfortable in each other's company as they enjoyed a luxury yacht trip during the holiday. 'Tom has been showering Ana with gifts ever since they met, it's his thing, he is thoughtful,' a source exclusively told 'First it started with her favorite flowers then books he thought she would want to read because she's an avid reader.' 'The more they got to know each other, the bigger the gifts became. There has been jewelry like gold bracelets and designer clothing, things like that, things every girl would love. 'Probably the biggest gift he has given her is being able to go anywhere in the world at a moment's notice, not many people can do that. She loves to travel.' contacted Tom and Ana's representatives at the time. Ana was last known to be dating Manuel Anido Cuesta, the stepson of Cuba 's president, with the pair photographed kissing during a night out in Madrid, Spain, in November 2024. Meanwhile, Tom was previously linked to Russian socialite Elsina Khayrova - the ex-wife of oligarch Dimitry Tsvetkov. Tom and Ana first sparked romance rumours on Valentine's Day, when they were spotted for what was reportedly a professional dinner in London. The following month, they were pictured with cheeky smiles on both of their faces after their flight landed at the London Heliport. In April, the pair were spotted arriving together in London again to spend Ana's 37th birthday together, with fans spotting them on a romantic stroll a park that same week. They have been friends ever since they co-starred in the 2019 movie Wasp Network. Tom and Ana are currently co-starring in Doug Liman's supernatural thriller Deeper. On Good Morning America in May, Ana said: 'It's so much fun. We're definitely working on a lot of things. 'Not just one, but a few projects with [filmmakers] Doug Liman and Christopher McQuarrie and, of course, Tom. And I'm so excited.' Tom shares a daughter Suri, 19, with his ex-wife Katie Holmes - who he was married to from November 2006 until June 2012, when Katie filed for divorce. The following month, the couple signed a divorce settlement worked out by their lawyers. The acrimonious split saw Tom state that Katie divorced him in part to protect Suri from Scientology and that she is no longer a practicing member of the organisation. Tom was also wed to Nicole Kidman from 1990 until 2001 and they adopted two children together - Bella, 32 and Connor, 30. Nicole is now married to Keith Urban and the couple have two daughters - Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.