Latest news with #BERN
Washington Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Host Swiss team exits Euro 2025 with respect from Spain and a new passion for women's soccer
BERN, Switzerland — The guard of honor Spain's players gave their beaten Switzerland opponents leaving the field told a strong story. A Swiss team whose prospects at its home Women's European Championship were unclear a month ago left bathed in warmth and affection after a 2-0 loss to the tournament favorite in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Host Swiss team exits Euro 2025 with respect from Spain and a new passion for women's soccer
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — The guard of honor Spain's players gave their beaten Switzerland opponents leaving the field told a strong story. A Swiss team whose prospects at its home Women's European Championship were unclear a month ago left bathed in warmth and affection after a 2-0 loss to the tournament favorite in the quarterfinals on Friday. Saluted after the final whistle by fans on all four sides of another sold-out stadium, Switzerland left the stage with clear respect from the world champion — and likely next European champion. 'It was a spontaneous gesture,' Spain star Aitana Bonmatí said in translated comments. 'It was a way to congratulate them for a great tournament and it goes beyond that.' 'They made us live unique experiences we will never forget. We are playing in stadiums full of people,' the two-time Ballon d'Or winner said. 'We wanted to thank them for that.' And Switzerland is now a good team — almost unrecognizable to the one that went into training camp last month on an eight-game winless run dating to November. 'They have been a very serious team, very intense,' said Bonmatí, whose backheeled pass to Athenea Del Castillo created the opening goal in the 66th minute of an increasingly tense test for the World Cup and UEFA Nations League title holder. Swiss captain Lia Wälti stopped at the end of the guard of honor to exchange words and a long hug with Alexia Putellas, another two-time Ballon d'Or winner. In May, Wälti's club team Arsenal had dethroned the Barcelona of Putellas and Bonmatí in the Women's Champions League final. Minutes earlier, the 32-year-old Wälti was consoling her tearful 18-year-old teammate Iman Beney, who had a stellar breakout tournament. The dynamic and fearless play of teenagers Beney, Sydney Schertenleib and Leila Wandeler, and 22-year-old Alayah Pilgrim — in thrilling finishes to group-stage games against Iceland and Finland – won over any lingering doubts among fans and media during the tournament. 'It hurts now,' midfielder Smilla Vallotto told broadcaster RTS, while looking ahead to 'a beautiful future' with what she called the best fans in Europe. A three-week journey at Euro 2025 seems to have changed completely the perception and passion of women's soccer in Switzerland, which does not yet have a fully professional women's league. 'I think it is hard to change a Swiss person, but we have made a change on the pitch and I'm very happy about that,' coach Pia Sundhage said. 'It's been a once in a lifetime feeling.' Sundhage has been on this kind of journey before, developing the culture of women's soccer in her native Sweden, China, the United States and Brazil. Her Swiss project did not seem on track until that elusive win came in a final warmup game on June 26 against the Czech Republic. The locker room got louder when the tournament arrived and the atmosphere built. There was more music and dancing, Sundhage said, hailing a 'phenomenal change.' The 65-year-old coach was last to walk off the field Friday, serenaded by fans next to the players' tunnel at one end of the stadium chanting 'Pia, Pia, Pia.' 'We are winning a positive attitude for women's football,' Sundhage said. 'Switzerland have a great future, absolutely.' ___ AP soccer:
Reuters
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Swiss coach Sundhage said historic tournament run about more than winning games
BERN, Switzerland , July 18 (Reuters) - While upstart Switzerland's dream run at the Women's European Championship run came to an end on Friday in a 2-0 quarter-final loss to world champions Spain, a proud coach Pia Sundhage and her players celebrated as if it was a victory. In many ways it was. Sundhage's team had already made history by making the knockout round of a major tournament for the first time, and then treated the sellout crowd to a spirited showing, diligently holding off the world's best for more than an hour. "I've been in the football game since I was a little kid, and the fact that it has changed (in Switzerland), people are more interested in the women's game than they were a year-and-a-half ago, that's the thing you love to see happening," Sundhage said. "We lost the game, but I think we gained a lot. Football is so much more than a gold medal." Sundhage was hired in January 2024 to improve the national team ahead of hosting Euro 2025, and she walked off the pitch on Friday with the crowd chanting her name. "I think that's cool. When people shouted my name, I feel they are shouting women's football," the 65-year-old said. "They know my name to begin with, and I'm coaching women's football." The Spanish players held a guard of honour for their opponents. "I want to congratulate Switzerland, it has been amazing, we are playing in stadiums full of people, we see streets full of people coming to the games," said Spain's Aitana Bonmati. "It's something unique that we are living and we wanted to thank them for that." Euro 2025 continues to smash attendance records, with a women's Euros best 78,407 fans -- including 29,734 on Friday -- attending the quarter-finals, with one game still to go on Saturday. Switzerland hopes hosting the tournament is a catalyst for growth in girls' soccer as it was for England after hosting the 2022 tournament. "I hope this tournament helps to push playing football both the young girls and the young boys," Swiss midfielder Smilla Vallotto said. "We are pretty happy even though we lost today." Swiss captain Lia Waelti said the crowd was beyond anything she and her teammates had "dreamed about". "To experience that at home in Switzerland, with a sold-out crowd, with Swiss cowbells, is just something extremely special," she said. "I hope we're going to keep it in our memories forever. "I hope it was a very, very important step to show Switzerland that women can play football really well, and I hope they're getting hungry to watch more women's football." The Swiss defended in numbers on Friday while withstanding waves of attacks before Athenea del Castillo finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute. Claudia Pina doubled Spain's lead five minutes later, but the Swiss chanting did not let up, and they cheered wildly when Livia Peng stopped Alexia Putellas's late penalty. Fans remained glued to their seats long after the final whistle. "It's been phenomenal, it's been a once in a lifetime feeling, very emotional," Sundhage said. "They didn't leave, they stayed. I was dreaming about this, but this is more than I dreamt of." Asked about her future, Sundhage said she is not looking beyond the end of her contract on December 31. "My future is to sleep," she joked. "I'm a bit tired.
Associated Press
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Host Swiss team exits Euro 2025 with respect from Spain and a new passion for women's soccer
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — The guard of honor Spain's players gave their beaten Switzerland opponents leaving the field told a strong story. A Swiss team whose prospects at its home Women's European Championship were unclear a month ago left bathed in warmth and affection after a 2-0 loss to the tournament favorite in the quarterfinals on Friday. Saluted after the final whistle by fans on all four sides of another sold-out stadium, Switzerland left the stage with clear respect from the world champion — and likely next European champion. 'It was a spontaneous gesture,' Spain star Aitana Bonmatí said in translated comments. 'It was a way to congratulate them for a great tournament and it goes beyond that.' 'They made us live unique experiences we will never forget. We are playing in stadiums full of people,' the two-time Ballon d'Or winner said. 'We wanted to thank them for that.' And Switzerland is now a good team — almost unrecognizable to the one that went into training camp last month on an eight-game winless run dating to November. 'They have been a very serious team, very intense,' said Bonmatí, whose backheeled pass to Athenea Del Castillo created the opening goal in the 66th minute of an increasingly tense test for the World Cup and UEFA Nations League title holder. Swiss captain Lia Wälti stopped at the end of the guard of honor to exchange words and a long hug with Alexia Putellas, another two-time Ballon d'Or winner. In May, Wälti's club team Arsenal had dethroned the Barcelona of Putellas and Bonmatí in the Women's Champions League final. Minutes earlier, the 32-year-old Wälti was consoling her tearful 18-year-old teammate Iman Beney, who had a stellar breakout tournament. The dynamic and fearless play of teenagers Beney, Sydney Schertenleib and Leila Wandeler, and 22-year-old Alayah Pilgrim — in thrilling finishes to group-stage games against Iceland and Finland – won over any lingering doubts among fans and media during the tournament. 'It hurts now,' midfielder Smilla Vallotto told broadcaster RTS, while looking ahead to 'a beautiful future' with what she called the best fans in Europe. A three-week journey at Euro 2025 seems to have changed completely the perception and passion of women's soccer in Switzerland, which does not yet have a fully professional women's league. 'I think it is hard to change a Swiss person, but we have made a change on the pitch and I'm very happy about that,' coach Pia Sundhage said. 'It's been a once in a lifetime feeling.' Sundhage has been on this kind of journey before, developing the culture of women's soccer in her native Sweden, China, the United States and Brazil. Her Swiss project did not seem on track until that elusive win came in a final warmup game on June 26 against the Czech Republic. The locker room got louder when the tournament arrived and the atmosphere built. There was more music and dancing, Sundhage said, hailing a 'phenomenal change.' The 65-year-old coach was last to walk off the field Friday, serenaded by fans next to the players' tunnel at one end of the stadium chanting 'Pia, Pia, Pia.' 'We are winning a positive attitude for women's football,' Sundhage said. 'Switzerland have a great future, absolutely.' ___ AP soccer:
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Euro 2025: Spain star Aitana Bonmati says she's mentally stronger after stay in hospital
BERN, Switzerland — Spain's opponents at the Women's European Championships maybe don't want to hear Aitana Bonmatí say she is even better as a player after her recent spell in the hospital . Bonmatí said Thursday she is '100% physically' on the eve of a quarterfinal game against host Switzerland that will be exactly three weeks since she was hospitalized with viral meningitis.
