Latest news with #AlessiaRusso
Rhyl Journal
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
England return home to cheers after European Championship success
The Lionesses successfully defended their European crown with a 3-1 penalty shootout victory over Spain in the tournament's showpiece in Basel on Sunday. Welcome home, #Lionesses! 👋 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 28, 2025 Alessia Russo cancelled out the opener from Arsenal team-mate Mariona Caldentey and after drawing 1-1 following extra time, an entertaining final ultimately boiled down to penalties. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made two brilliant saves in the shootout before Chloe Kelly fired home from the spot to ensure England retained their European title. The Lionesses left their team hotel in Zurich on Monday morning with skipper Leah Williamson carefully escorting the trophy to the bus. After almost a month of competition in Switzerland, the team's aeroplane branded with the word 'home' touched down at Southend Airport on Monday afternoon. Holding the trophy, Williamson was first to step off the plane alongside head coach Sarina Wiegman. Outside of the airport, crowds were lined up to welcome the team and the trophy back home. The Lionesses are set to celebrate their win with a reception at Downing Street later on Monday, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock. A homecoming open-top bus parade follows in central London on Tuesday, where there will be a procession along The Mall and the celebration will finish with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.
Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Times
Wiegman must fix defence but has attacking talent to win elusive World Cup
England are so lucky to have Sarina Wiegman. She has transformed women's football in our country, brought people together and is an inspiration. Winning three Euros in a row — the first of which came with the Netherlands before her two titles with England — is a ridiculous streak. Wiegman is too good a head coach to stand still. The Dutchwoman has two years remaining on her contract and will have her sights set on football's ultimate prize: the World Cup in 2027 in Brazil. This title is the missing piece for Wiegman and England. Neither has won the World Cup, with Wiegman losing the final in 2019 as the Netherlands head coach before her England side were runners-up in 2023 to Spain. I hope the Lionesses are focused only on enjoying their Euro 2025 triumph at the moment. Whenever the party finishes, they should assess their road to the World Cup and realise that they are in a good position, but not a perfect one. Their attacking depth is superb. Alessia Russo, 26, and Michelle Agyemang, 19, showed their abilities with crucial goals during the Euros knockout stage, and the formula of Russo starting before Agyemang wreaks havoc off the bench worked well at the Euros. However, England also have Aggie Beever-Jones, who has worked so hard to get minutes in Chelsea's dominant side. Beever-Jones, 22, is a dynamic, versatile forward and scored at the Euros herself. In the wide forward positions, England have the likes of Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, Lauren James and Beth Mead. Mead will be 32 by the next World Cup and can still make an impact at that age, while the other three should be somewhere close to their prime. England have problems to address elsewhere. I would love Lucy Bronze to continue for ever but she is 33 and, even though she played the entire Euros with a broken tibia and may well have another tournament or two in her, there has to be some succession planning at right back. Wiegman must work out whether Maya Le Tissier or Naomi Layzell, two young players who are usually centre backs for their clubs, can deputise for Bronze. Elsewhere, England desperately need to find a natural, left-footed left back after looking vulnerable in this position throughout the Euros. They could do with the new generation of midfielders coming through as well. However, these are not huge concerns. The FA and Wiegman have developed the production line well, and the player pool will get wider year on year. In a player like Agyemang, who thrived at the Euros, youngsters now have a clear example of what is possible through the pathway. The work at age-group level is bulletproofing England's senior team for the future, and we are set for a very happy decade at least. England were at 10 Downing Street on Monday evening. Players from left: Ella Toone, Russo, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood, Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly, Wiegman, Beever-Jones, Khiara Keating, Georgia Stanway, Lauren James, Keira Walsh, Agyemang, Williamson, Hannah Hampton, Bronze, Anna Moorhouse and Esme Morgan ANTHONY HARVEY/SHUTTERSTOCK The squad will not be overhauled in the next two years, so England must do more than blood young players to stay on top. It is really hard to have the same desire to win once you have tasted success, meaning England must consciously maintain their motivation. Opponents always relish beating England, and their Euros double will only make the target on their backs bigger. Between now and the World Cup, fans may have to tolerate the odd poor result as Wiegman experiments with her line-up. It would be worth giving opportunities to players such as Beever-Jones, Grace Clinton and Jess Park even if it reduces England's chances of winning in the short term. Wiegman will need to evolve, because her long-time assistant, Arjan Veurink, is leaving to take charge of the Netherlands. This departure is a significant blow. Yet with Wiegman in charge, England will keep improving. She is the best head coach around and her Euros record proves that she can win with different squads. Once we get to the World Cup, the volatility and pressure of a major tournament have to be navigated. Can there be any doubt that England will rise to this challenge after their performances in Switzerland? There were so many brilliant individual displays in the final against Spain. Hannah Hampton was a huge presence in the penalty shoot-out and I liked how she put her research on her left sleeve, rather than a water bottle, which meant nobody could tamper with her notes. Hampton has vindicated Wiegman's decision to make her the No 1 ahead of Mary Earps. Kelly has an aura as well, while Russo epitomised resilience and deserved her goal. Hemp and Keira Walsh covered so much space and kept their composure when fatigued. In defence, Bronze was heroic, and I loved Jess Carter's celebration after thwarting Aitana Bonmatí at the end of extra time. This reaction set the tone for the penalties. In the shoot-out, I was delighted to see Alex Greenwood score. I know how much having a penalty saved in the quarter-final hurt her and this moment of personal redemption would have meant everything. Wiegman got her tactics right once again. Bringing on Agyemang at the same time as Claudia Pina, who had tormented England off the bench in the Nations League last month, stopped the momentum shifting Spain's way. Wiegman has also made England obsessed with defending, and this mentality helped them to deal with Spain's barrage of wide attacks. It was a terrific performance from a fantastic team. Wiegman and England have work to do, but they have the personnel, resources and proven pedigree to capture that elusive World Cup in 2027.
Sky News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Sky News
Lionesses live: Triumphant players to celebrate with fans on open-top bus parade through London
How the Lionesses won the final Sunday was an epic battle between England, who were defending their 2022 Euro title, and Spain, the reigning World Cup champions. Here's a quick recap... Lionesses go behind Mariona Caldentey's 25th-minute header gave Spain an early lead, raising tensions for England fans. To make matters worse, star winger Lauren James was forced off with an injury just before the break. There was plenty for the Lionesses to think about at half time, having been outplayed for much of the first half - but it was a situation they had become accustomed to, having come from behind to win both the quarter and semi-final. England make it level Striker Alessia Russo's towering header squared things up in the 57th minute. Much of the credit rightly went to super sub Chloe Kelly, whose pinpoint cross showed the class England had been lacking in the first half. From there it was a matter of staying solid at the back for the Lionesses to take Spain to extra time. A gruelling 30 minutes - then pens Sarina Wiegman's side showed their mettle throughout extra time, fending off their opponent's attacking prowess. Penalties came in a flash, and fears were heightened when Beth Mead slipped taking England's first kick before missing the retake. But Hannah Hampton made two excellent saves to keep the Lionesses in it, before Kelly turned hero again to smash home the winning pen. 3-1 England. The rest is history.
The Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Moment Alessia Russo tries to put off Ella Toone with cheeky prank during Lionesses' Downing Street photo
ENGLAND star Alessia Russio targeted her best pal Ella Toone with a cheeky prank during a special reception at Downing Street. The Lionesses were greeted by cheering crowds as they returned home on Monday after their Euro 2025 shootout victory over Spain. 3 Play Dream Team now! The team arrived for a celebratory reception, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock, just before 7pm on Monday. Number 10 was decorated for the occasion, with St George's flags draped over windows and bunting along the railings. And the Queens of Europe posed for a legendary team photograph outside the famous black door, with manager Sarina Wiegman taking centre stage. But while stood outside No 10, Russo was caught trying to put Toone off by playfully sticking her finger in her teammate's ear while photographers were gasping for pictures. A shocked Toone, 26, quickly yanked her head away from Russo's surprise prod, before facing back straight to smile for snaps. The pair, who started every game of Euro 2025, could be seen holding back fits of laughter while they tried to stay composed. Russo, 25, and Toone's long-time friendship is well documented with the pair meeting in a youth England camp at the age of 12 and swiftly becoming inseparable. Despite being from opposite ends of the country, striker Russo soon joined Toone at Manchester United in 2020, before leaving for Arsenal in 2023. 3 The childhood friends, who also won Euro 2022 together, are set to join the team for an open-top bus victory parade of Central London on Tuesday. Starting at 12.10pm, the bus will drive past fans along The Mall before ending with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace at around 12.30pm. England's Lionesses return home to heroes' welcome with EURO 2025 trophy Some of the team also took part in a 'cringe' video call from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was unable to attend in person due to talks with US President Donald Trump in Scotland. England defended their European title with a 3-1 penalty shootout over world champions Spain in Basel. Sunday's final was full of twists and turns, with England falling behind in the 25th minute to a header from Mariona Caldentey. But the Lionesses roared back with a header of their own from Russo in the 57th minute to equalise the game. Chloe Kelly smashed home the winning spot-kick following two saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, helping the squad become first English team to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Back home, more than 16 million people saw the match live on TV - the most-watched television moment of the year so far.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Moment Alessia Russo playfully tries to put off Ella Toone during Lioness photo as the childhood best friends get red carpet treatment at Downing Street
Alessia Russo and Ella Toone were seen messing around as they stood for a photograph outside Downing Street yesterday, as the Lionesses returned to England victorious. The team was honoured with a special reception at No 10 Downing Street, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. While stood outside Number 10, Alessia Russo was caught trying to put Ella Toone off by playfully sticking her finger in her teammate's ear. The pair are childhood friends despite growing up in different ends of the country - Toone in Greater Manchester and Russo in Kent - the attacking duo are great friends off the field and have been mates since the age of 12. Toone, 25, and Russo, 26, both appear on their own podcast together, where they tell all to presenter Vick Hope. Despite a whirlwind schedule and barely a moment's rest, the duo alongside their England teammates are set to continue their victory lap today – with a blockbuster open-top bus parade through The Mall set to kick off at 12.10pm today. That will end in a glitzy ceremony outside Buckingham Palace hosted by former England star Alex Scott. Thousands of fans are expected to gather on the Mall to welcome and congratulate the team on their historic achievement. The England squad wearing their winners' medals at Downing Street for a reception at No 10 The European champions pictured outside Number 10 which was adorned with England flags Lucy Bronze and Chloe Kelly also shared a moment of fun outside Downing Street Some of the team also took part in a surprise video call from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was unable to attend in person due to talks with US President Donald Trump in Scotland. He said: 'Fantastic to see you all and welcome to Downing Street. I just wanted to say a huge huge congratulations to you and to the whole team. 'It was an absolutely amazing victory and you must've felt the eyes and ears of the whole country on you last night.' He added: 'You made history so many times over last night.' Wiegman thanked him for calling and for supporting the team throughout the tournament. Today's celebrations are expected to echo the scenes of Trafalgar Square three years ago, though this year's road to glory has been widely hailed as even more nail-biting and unforgettable. England managed to become European Championship winners again after a penalty shootout win against rivals Spain on Sunday night. The game was 1-1 after 90 minutes and remained tied through 30 minutes of extra time. The Lionesses have touched down in England less than 24 hours after their Euro 2025 triumph Fans with home-made signs wait for the team to arrive back in the UK Drinks were flowing as friends and family joined the England players in celebration Another nerve-shredding penalty shootout followed with Chloe Kelly yet again scoring the winning penalty sparking jubilant scene in the stadium in Basel and in millions of homes back in the UK. Yesterday, the squad landed at Southend Airport to a rapturous welcome from adoring fans – greeted with chants of 'It's coming home' and flags waving as they descended from their private jet. Leading the way, Williamson beamed as she held the gleaming Euros trophy aloft, the team receiving a dramatic water cannon salute on the tarmac – a royal welcome for the queens of European football. It's been a non-stop celebration since the final whistle blew on their dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Spain. Toone sang karaoke as England manager Sarina Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson cut a celebratory cake together on Sunday night. With players still partying into the early hours of the morning, after Toone's partner Joe Bunney posted a picture at 4.10am. Celebrations began in earnest swiftly after their title defence was assured, with the Lionesses performing a musical number as they left the field. Led by captain Leah Williamson and Beth Mead, England's players belted out 2010 hit Dancing On My Own by Robyn as they exited down the tunnel. The team would later return to the field armed with several boxes of pizza and cans of beer. Ella Toone was belting out hits on the karaoke machine Ella Toone was on someone's shoulders as she danced with Georgia Stanway The Lionesses have roared to victory in a nailbiting penalty shootout that saw them triumph over Spain Penalty hero Chloe Kelly and Lucy Bronze, who played the final with a broken leg, head into the team hotel after winning the Euros and the party began Last night the team were seen continuing celebrations into a second night as they descended on Soho for another night out. After a whirlwind 48 hours, the squad poured out of their taxis and straight into Little Italy in central London. All of the squad seemed to be in high spirits, laughing and linking arms as they made their way into the lively late-night spot, sporting their third outfit change of the day. Fans can attend the victory parade today for free and it will also be broadcast live on BBC, ITV, and Sky. Outside of football, Toone has set up her own brand, ET7, which includes a football academy for young girls, and she has set up a creative agency to help female athletes maximise commercial opportunities. Her sponsors include make-up brand Charlotte Tilbury, orthodontic firm Invisalign and McDonald's. Russo is now on £500,000 a year just for playing football – but off-the-field deals are understood to bring in much more.
