A smile spreads across Sarina Wiegman’s face as she reflects on Euro 2025.
“It’s still strange. Did something like this really happen?” England’s normally stoic head coach admitted. “To be honest, I’m really emotional.
“Those games were so crazy how they unfolded. It was so emotional because it was unlike any other tournament we’ve played. It was so special.”
Player dropouts, injury doubts, early defeats, come-from-behind wins and penalty shootouts determined England’s path to becoming European champions.
A few months later, Wiegmann gave an interview to Sky Sports News about the most dramatic tournament victory in modern history. Looking back on his preparation for the tournament, Wiegman said, “A lot happened.”
That’s to say the least.
Mary Earps decided to retire after being demoted to second-choice keeper. Fran Kirby did the same after finding out he was not in Wiegman’s immediate plans, and former captain Millie Bright opted to take a holiday instead of going to Switzerland.
Mary Arps announces retirement from international football just before Euro 2025
In addition, five players who were expected to be starters were in doubt due to injuries.
Lauren James, Georgia Stanway, Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp and Lucy Bronze all fist-pumped to board the plane, something Wigman is extremely proud of.
“We had five major injuries from players who played long hours and they worked hard to come back. It’s very special to have all five players injured,” she reflected.
Players like Lauren James were set for Euro 2025
“Sometimes a player gets injured and can’t play. Sometimes a player retires and can’t play. The reasons are different, but the result is the same. Who’s going to take his place next?”
The problem with almost half of the starting XI returning was that England were underprepared for the tournament, which showed in their opening defeat to France.
Harsh words were spoken, reality became clear, and training changed. England were dejected after losing to one of the favorites to win the competition, but Wiegman had no intention of repeating the same.
“In the game against Sweden, we couldn’t take penalties well.”
The quarter-final match against Sweden required all of that determination and belief in the team.
“Boom, in 30 minutes we were down 2-0,” Wiegman recalled. “Okay, this is the game. At halftime we said to each other, ‘We can still change this game.’
Chloe Kelly came on as a substitute and set up goals from Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang to take the game to penalties. Confusion continued as nine spot kicks were missed.
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England and Arsenal forward Chloe Kelly reflects on the ups and downs of 2025, rediscovering happiness on the pitch and producing the game’s biggest moments
“We didn’t react very well to them. We said to Arjen[Foorink, former England assistant head coach]’Wow,’ and we said something more forceful, like, ‘I might be on a plane tomorrow.’
However, the bronze medal came over the home winners from England, making it a memorable night in Zurich.
“We’ve never experienced a game like this, but what got us through was the connection of this team. We were together in 2022 and 2023, but this team took it to a new level. There’s a lot of confidence in this team, and the team bond gave us an added edge.”
“We knew we were better than Spain in penalty shootouts.”
England needed their collective strength in the semi-finals to overcome further disadvantage and defeat Italy in extra time to advance to their third consecutive major final.
Standing in Wiegman’s way was the country that defeated England in the 2023 World Cup final.
“Okay, we’re playing against Spain. They’re the best in possession and they’re fun to watch, but they have some weaknesses that we tried to exploit,” the Lionesses head coach said, reflecting on the game plan.
All three of England’s knockout matches went to extra time and two went to penalties.
Wiegmann admitted England “struggling” after Mariona Caldenti put the world champions in front. However, they regained their momentum after the break and leveled the score with a header from Alessia Russo.
Once again, England had a very close game and the match went to penalties. People refer to gunfights as lottery tickets, but Wiegman knew that was a cliché and didn’t apply to her side.
“We had an advantage and we knew it,” she said. “They were disappointed to be in that position. We have the experience and we know we can do it. We know we are better at penalties than them.”
“And there was Hannah.”
“I’m so proud of Hannah.”
Hannah Hampton saves two penalties against Spain and helps England win Euro 2025
When Hannah Hampton saved Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bommati’s penalty, a realization spread across St. Jacob’s Park. England were about to become European champions again.
England would not have been able to lift the trophy without their number one. The Chelsea keeper made big saves not only in the shootout but throughout the tournament. Her distribution also added an unprecedented dimension to Lioness.
This is all the more remarkable considering the attention Hampton received after Earps’ blitz retirement. Hampton was also grieving after her grandfather passed away two days before the start of the competition.
“I’m really proud of her,” Wigman says. “She’s in great shape and had to deal with some personal issues before the competition. She did a very good job. She’s unbelievable.”
“Tuchel knows what he wants to do next summer.”
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Sarina Wigman took to the stage with Alex Scott at England’s Euro 2025 homecoming celebrations to express what it meant to her to help the Lionesses win back-to-back titles.
Hampton and the rest of the team celebrated wildly after the Euro win.
A memorable evening in Zurich saw us head to Downing Street before celebrating in front of Buckingham Palace.
“When you see 70,000 people cheering for you, you say to yourself, ‘This isn’t real. What’s going on here?'” the Lionesses recalled.
Unexpectedly, a party at The Mall showed a different side of the normally cool Dutch woman. Wiegman was broadcast live on television, dancing and singing with Burna Boy, to the amazement of everyone watching.
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England manager Sarina Wigman celebrated Euro victory on the doorstep of Buckingham Palace and danced with her favorite artist Burna Boy
“My daughters were there, but I didn’t know. As we were singing and dancing, Georgia (Stanway) said, ‘Your daughters are here,’ and I saw them and ran over. That made me even more excited,” she said. “This doesn’t happen very often. It was really fun.”
Wiemgan would be delighted if the England team brought home a major trophy at this summer’s North American World Cup. She meets occasionally with Thomas Tuchel, but he insists he doesn’t need her guidance.
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Victorious England manager Sarina Wigman reflects on a “very special” day after the Lionesses visited Downing Street after their Euro 2025 win
“Oh, he knows,” Wiegman joked. “We meet every once in a while and he’s very excited too. He knows exactly what he wants to do this summer.”
He was sure to follow Wiegman’s blueprint for success.
If 2025 has taught her anything, it’s how to deal with adversity, setbacks and turmoil, and still have another medal around her neck.
