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South Wales Guardian
40 minutes ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Lucy Bronze urges England to draw on underdog mentality in Euros quarter-final
The 33-year-old right-back is the most experienced member of Sarina Wiegman's side, having now featured in seven major tournaments since she travelled to Euro 2013 as an uncapped member of Hope Powell's squad. In Switzerland, Bronze's England team-mates have drawn on the Chelsea defender's wisdom as they navigated a rollercoaster group stage, particularly in the wake of their opening defeat to France. MD-1 preparations 💪 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 16, 2025 'We said we're a 'new England', a new team,' said Bronze. 'And what was meant by that was, we had a lot of younger players and new players who have very different experiences of playing for England compared to the likes of myself, where we know that England used to have to dig deep all the time, always. 'Like, 2015 was the first time we beat Germany – that's insane to think of right now. 'But England in the past, it was you have to dig out performances and you are maybe the underdog, you aren't the favourite. Whereas this England team has developed and changed.' After the 2-1 loss to France, which left their campaign hanging by a thread, Bronze reminded her team-mates that England had suffered defeat to the same country at the 2015 World Cup, but then achieved what was then a best-ever third-place finish at a global showpiece. That defeat in Zurich, Bronze agrees, ultimately galvanised the Lionesses, who increasingly spoke about wanting to play like 'proper England' and went on to beat 2017 champions the Netherlands 4-0 and Wales 6-1 to qualify for the last eight as Group D runners-up. She said: 'Obviously we're a very talented team, a lot of technical ability, tactics, all that comes in the game, but we don't ever want to forget that we are England, we are proper England and if push comes to shove, we can win a game in any means possible.' Players from both the England and Sweden camps have suggested the Swedes have flown under the radar. England captain Leah Williamson said the Scandinavians 'deserve more recognition', a sentiment echoed by Sweden's Kosovare Asllani, who told reporters 'people should talk about us more'. England beat Sweden 4-0 in the Euro 2022 semi-final at Bramall Lane, but drew in their two most recent meetings with Peter Gerhardsson's side who – unlike England – have also qualified for this autumn's Nations League semi-finals. Among England's major tournament debutants is goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, also Bronze's team-mate at Women's Super League champions Chelsea, who contributed a highlight-reel pass in the Netherlands victory. 🧤 @hannahhampton_ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 16, 2025 'She's a very important part of this team,' added Bronze. 'I think she's definitely built with confidence as the tournament has gone on – arguably the best goalkeeper in the world with her feet. 'But there's still a lot more to come from Hannah. She's a very young goalkeeper and she's already doing fantastically well, especially starting her first major tournament. She's a key player for us. 'Like Tooney (Ella Toone) and LJ (Lauren James), she's a player that I think we can see so much more from, just growing and getting even better and better.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ruthless Lionesses star aiming to knock one of her best friends out of Euros
England and Sweden will meet in the quarter-finals of the European Championships on Thursday and the game will see a number of club team-mates lock horns in Zurich England star Lucy Bronze is relishing the prospect of taking on one of her best friends from club side Chelsea when the Lionesses face Sweden on Thursday night Since returning to the WSL with the Blues last year, Bronze has developed a strong partnership down the right with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd. The pair will be on opposite sides of the pitch in the quarter-final, but stopping Sweden's player of the match in their win over Germany could be key to Sarina Wiegman's team getting a result. "Johanna's actually probably the person I get on best with at Chelsea, she is one of my best friends there," Bronze said. "Obviously I play next to her as well, and I play next to [Sweden defender] Nathalie Bjorn, so I am very familiar with the both of them and they both have had fantastic tournaments so far. The thing with Johanna is her mindset. "One thing I'd say about myself is I'm very competitive and this girl is very competitive as well. I've seen it this season at Chelsea and when she puts on a Sweden shirt she's the same. She'll run through a brick wall for her team. 'How to stop her? Hopefully she is on the other side to me. She is a pacey player and done really well but I think if we stick to our jobs and our roles, we will be able to have a good game against her as well.' Sweden star Kosovare Asllani pointed to her team's physical ability and that's something England boss Wiegman is expecting to have to deal with. Sweden have put in more crosses than any other team at the Euros this year, and victories over Denmark, Poland and Germany suggest the approach has been working for Peter Gerhardsson's team. 'That's what they want to do of course, we know they have some qualities,' Wiegman said. 'They're good in the air, they want to put in crosses, they have some speed up front too. "So we're going to try and prevent that. Of course it helps when we have the ball a little bit more than they have.' Wiegman also spoke about the increase in female coaches making deep runs in the tournament. She was the only female head coach to take charge at a World Cup quarter-final in 2023 but is one of four at this year's Euros - along with Spain's Montse Tome, Switzerland boss Pia Sundhage, and Norway's English manager Gemma Grainger. 'What we're all working on is we hope more females stay involved in football," Wiegman said. "We want girls to play football, we want every girl, every woman having the opportunity to get involved in football in whatever role that is, and also in coaching "We have to push hard, we're moving into the right direction but we have to keep moving to keep having these opportunities - but not destroying men who are in the women's game also and have played a tremendous role.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri taken to hospital as Lazio release statement
Former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was taken to hospital after suffering a "sudden illness" while taking Lazio training - but the Italian is understood to have recovered after initial checks. The 66-year-old will be remembered by English football fans for his one-year stint at Chelsea that saw him win the Europa League in his first season. Sarri left the Blues for Juventus, where he won the Serie A in the following campaign before linking up with Lazio in 2021. He spent three years with the Rome outfit before resigning from his role in 2024 as he decided to take a sabbatical from football management. But he returned to Lazio, who re-appointed him last month following the departure of coach Marco Baroni. And just weeks after he took back the reigns at the club, Sarri was taken unwell while leading a pre-season training session. But Lazio were quick to confirm that Sarri had since returned to Lazio's training centre after undergoing medical tests. "Coach Sarri is returning to Formello and, as scheduled, will lead the training session at 6:00 PM as usual," a club statement read. "This morning, he underwent a thorough fitness check, more comprehensive than the tests conducted on the players at the Training Center." Some reports in Italy claimed Sarri fell unwell due to the searing temperatures in Rome, with the Italian capital reporting temperatures of 35 degrees celsius on Wednesday. Sarri has managed a host of clubs in his career after starting out as a banker in Tuscany, a job he juggled alongside being an amateur footballer. He started coaching low level Italian clubs before slowly rising up the divisions and eventually emerging as a top coach with Napoli, who he joined in 2015. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Lucy Bronze urges England to draw on underdog mentality in Euros quarter-final
The 33-year-old right-back is the most experienced member of Sarina Wiegman's side, having now featured in seven major tournaments since she travelled to Euro 2013 as an uncapped member of Hope Powell's squad. In Switzerland, Bronze's England team-mates have drawn on the Chelsea defender's wisdom as they navigated a rollercoaster group stage, particularly in the wake of their opening defeat to France. MD-1 preparations 💪 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 16, 2025 'We said we're a 'new England', a new team,' said Bronze. 'And what was meant by that was, we had a lot of younger players and new players who have very different experiences of playing for England compared to the likes of myself, where we know that England used to have to dig deep all the time, always. 'Like, 2015 was the first time we beat Germany – that's insane to think of right now. 'But England in the past, it was you have to dig out performances and you are maybe the underdog, you aren't the favourite. Whereas this England team has developed and changed.' After the 2-1 loss to France, which left their campaign hanging by a thread, Bronze reminded her team-mates that England had suffered defeat to the same country at the 2015 World Cup, but then achieved what was then a best-ever third-place finish at a global showpiece. That defeat in Zurich, Bronze agrees, ultimately galvanised the Lionesses, who increasingly spoke about wanting to play like 'proper England' and went on to beat 2017 champions the Netherlands 4-0 and Wales 6-1 to qualify for the last eight as Group D runners-up. She said: 'Obviously we're a very talented team, a lot of technical ability, tactics, all that comes in the game, but we don't ever want to forget that we are England, we are proper England and if push comes to shove, we can win a game in any means possible.' Players from both the England and Sweden camps have suggested the Swedes have flown under the radar. England captain Leah Williamson said the Scandinavians 'deserve more recognition', a sentiment echoed by Sweden's Kosovare Asllani, who told reporters 'people should talk about us more'. England beat Sweden 4-0 in the Euro 2022 semi-final at Bramall Lane, but drew in their two most recent meetings with Peter Gerhardsson's side who – unlike England – have also qualified for this autumn's Nations League semi-finals. Among England's major tournament debutants is goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, also Bronze's team-mate at Women's Super League champions Chelsea, who contributed a highlight-reel pass in the Netherlands victory. 🧤 @hannahhampton_ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 16, 2025 'She's a very important part of this team,' added Bronze. 'I think she's definitely built with confidence as the tournament has gone on – arguably the best goalkeeper in the world with her feet. 'But there's still a lot more to come from Hannah. She's a very young goalkeeper and she's already doing fantastically well, especially starting her first major tournament. She's a key player for us. 'Like Tooney (Ella Toone) and LJ (Lauren James), she's a player that I think we can see so much more from, just growing and getting even better and better.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chelsea Reignite Their Interest In This AC Milan Goalkeeper: Should Maresca Go For Him?
In a recent report, journalists Danny Rust and Dean Jones claimed that Chelsea have reignited their interest in AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan this summer. It has been revealed that the Blues are keen on recruiting the French shot-stopper in this transfer period. Maignan's Impressive Form In Serie A Maignan was a solid presence in between the sticks for the Milan outfit last season when he put in a run of impressive displays for them in Serie A. The French keeper made 53 appearances for AC Milan in the previous campaign, shipping in 59 goals and keeping 15 clean sheets in the process across all competitions. The 30-year-old was one of the top keepers in Serie A football. He was even accurate when distributing possession from the back after making 86.2% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via His current contract at the Italian club will run out at the end of next season. Therefore, the Blues could potentially sign him on a cut-price deal in this summer transfer period. Should Chelsea Boss Enzo Maresca Go For Maignan? Maignan is a good handler of the ball and can use his quick reflexes to make some solid saves at the back for his side. He doesn't mind putting his foot through the ball when being chased down by the opposition attackers. Standing at 1.91m, the French keeper can use his strong frame when coming out to collect loose balls and crosses inside his penalty area. However, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain his good form in the Premier League if Chelsea manage to bring him on board this off-season. We can expect Maignan to add more quality to Enzo Maresca's backline. He is good enough to nail down a regular first-team spot at the West London club next season. At 30, Maignan has still got a few good years left in him to play at his best. Hence, it makes sense for the Blues to go for a keeper of his quality before the end of this transfer window. He might even help the London giants compete across all fronts in the coming years. However, Maignan won't be a long-term fix to Maresca's goalkeeping concerns at Chelsea.
