‘Ready to perform and compete': Wiegman praises Carter before Italy semi-final

The Guardian

6 days ago

Sarina Wiegman has said Jess Carter is 'ready to perform and compete' in England's semi-final against Italy on Tuesday night, praising the defender's strength of character in the face of racist abuse received during Euro 2025.
Wiegman is expected to keep faith with Carter after a below-par performance against Sweden in the previous round – one of many in the team that night – but the head coach said they had discussed the possibility of her not playing.
'Of course we had conversations,' Wiegman said. 'Although it is a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person and she wants to move on, too. She also felt – as we did – that we had to address this. You can't just let it go, so we did not.
'Then we know that there's a match going on: we want to perform, we're ready to perform, she's ready to perform and compete, and that says a lot about her and the team.' The midfielder Georgia Stanway echoed Wiegman's sentiments and took aim at those who sent the racist messages on social media.
'The people that are saying these things and doing things like this are not fans,' Stanway said.
'When we pull on that shirt we are doing it for the people we stand next to, for our families and the actual people who are there watching the games and enjoying the games. I say it with power because I really believe in that, we believe in that: the people who are like that don't deserve to be called fans.'
Italy 1-5 England, 27 Feb 2024, Algeciras
The Lionesses started preparations for the Euro 2025 qualifiers perfectly, with a dominant win over Italy in south-west Spain. Lotte Wubben-Moy gave England the lead inside the first minute and Lauren Hemp scored twice to put England 3-0 ahead after 34 minutes. Le Azzurre got one back just before half-time through Michela Cambiaghi, but England cemented their dominance with second-half goals from Ella Toone and Rachel Daly to round off an impressive performance.
England 2-1 Italy, 19 Feb 2023, Coventry
England made it two out of two wins in the Arnold Clark Cup, thanks to two Daly headers either side of Sofia Cantore's 62nd-minute equaliser. Italy could not contain Daly, who in addition to her goals, hit the crossbar just before half-time. The Lionesses broke the attendance record for a sporting event at the CBS Arena, drawing a crowd of 32,128.
England 1-1 Italy, 7 April 2017, Stoke
England were held to a frustrating draw in their penultimate home match before Euro 2017. Italy scored with their only attempt on goal, which came from Valentina Cernoia minutes after Jodie Taylor opened the scoring in the 70th minute. The Lionesses dominated Mark Sampson's 50th match in charge, with a whopping 23 shots to Italy's six. Eze Obasi
The decision to tackle the abuse of Carter as a collective, with the team releasing a joint statement shortly after Carter released her own, has further united them.
Stanway said: 'If anything it has probably brought us closer together as a team. There's some things that we will never be able to understand and this is one of those.
'We need to cut it out of society and football. Of course we don't know the steps that it takes in order for that to happen, but right now all we can do is show our support, our togetherness, and we can be united in what we want to make sure is right.'
England will not be taking the knee in protest at racist abuse and discrimination because it is not 'doing what we want it to do' any more, Stanway said. She hopes standing will 'bring up more conversation and more change'.
Italy's head coach, Andrea Soncin, expressed his team's support for Carter before the fixture in Geneva. 'There is the greatest of solidarity with her and towards anyone suffering violence and abuse,' he said. 'It should not be tolerated.
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'We have a responsibility with the position we are in to send the right messages. We need to give educational messages, including to children. It is a cultural campaign, a cultural battle.'
The Juventus defender Cecilia Salvai added her backing for Carter, saying: 'I hope she can detach from this tomorrow.'
In 2021 Juventus were accused of racism after posting a picture of Salvai in which she was using her fingers to narrow her eyes while wearing a red training cone on her head.
The club quickly apologised and withdrew the image, saying it was not meant to have 'racial overtones'.
Salvai said Italy's players would discuss possible supportive gestures for Carter on Tuesday. 'We will talk and discuss tonight,' she said. 'We are open and willing to do anything to send a strong message.'
Wiegman said Leah Williamson had recovered from the injury which forced her off against Sweden, and warned England against underestimating Italy. 'It would be really disrespectful to think we are the favourites,' she said.
'They made the semi-final just like we did and that's very impressive for any team. Complacency is the biggest mistake you could make. You have seen how they have played … we have to be at our very best to win.'