New national coach at work: Sundhage has a big mission waiting for her

Their mission is clear: the European Championship at home in 2025 must be a sporting success; qualifying for the knockout stages should be the minimum target. You can’t expect miracles from Sundhage either, because she can’t turn European mediocrity into a world-class team in just over sixteen months. The player pool available to her is limited and significantly smaller than her last stops in the US, Sweden or Brazil. That a lot is possible on Day

Sundhage should offer a sense of optimism after a bungled last year with just two wins in 16 games. The first line-up shows where the journey is going: eleven of the 28 players are 21 years old or younger. The chick is Sydney Schertenleib, who celebrated her 17th birthday at the end of January. But the boys are not only young, they are also good. With their talent and carefree attitude, they should give wings to the established players around the leadership trio Lia Wälti (30), Ramona Bachmann (33) and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic (33) and to the entire national team.

Political own goal

From a political point of view, there is no sign of optimism at the moment due to the European Championship in our own country. Sports Minister Viola Amherd’s announcement in early February that the federal government would provide only four million francs in federal money instead of the announced 12 to 15 million francs is a mood killer. Moreover, the money is not extra expressed, but is redistributed within the Federal Office for Sport (Baspo). An insult to sport and women’s football, which caused criticism and anger at home and abroad.

The news from the highest federal authority is politically self-serving and sends the wrong signal. Not only the federal government is needed, but also the locations and cantons, municipalities and football clubs, the media and ultimately society as a whole. They must all do their part to make the 2025 European Championship a resounding success – also off the field.

The three-week tournament in July 2025 is only one thing, but is ultimately also about the legacy of this final round for women’s football in our country. This is also experiencing a boom in Switzerland. The number of women and girls with a permit is increasing year after year; there are now more than 40,000. The problems that village clubs have known for years – lack of space, lack of changing rooms, lack of coaches and referees, waiting lists – are even more evident among the girls. And the fact that tens of thousands more will join in the summer of 2025 is as certain as the Amen in the church.

The association is also required

The role of the Swiss Football Association, which also criticized the Federal Council’s decision, must be questioned. Apparently the SFV’s concerns have not been heard enough – or there has been insufficient lobbying. Even though chairman Dominique Blanc is an outspoken supporter of women’s football, there are also reservations within the association. Some people still believe that every franc spent on women’s football is one too many. The social and economic potential of women’s football is underestimated.

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Sundhage laughs

New national coach shows humor during introduction

But above all, the SFV should be the locomotive to stimulate sustainable development throughout the country in the wake of the European Championship at home. Sundhage could also be a windfall in this area. The Swede knows from her own experience what a home tournament can do when she coached her home country at the 2013 European Championships. Experiencing such a journey again was of course enough incentive for her to join the SFV.

Sundhage is used to resistance and reservations. Born in 1960, she was not allowed to play football as a little girl. She has witnessed first-hand the difficult development of women’s football from the beginning, first in her home country, one of the most progressive countries in the world, and later around the world. Now she embarks on her next mission: to wake Swiss women’s football from its slumber. Especially on, but also off the field.

Nations League Women – League A / Group 1

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	The Netherlands	6	8th	12
	2	England	6	7	12
	3	Belgium	6	-3	8th
	4	Scotland	6	-12	2

Nations League Women – League A / Group 2

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	France	6	8th	16
	2	Austria	6	-1	10
	3	Norway	6	1	5
	4	Portugal	6	-8th	3

Nations League Women – League A / Group 3

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Germany	6	11	13
	2	Denmark	6	4	12
	3	Iceland	6	-4	9
	4	Wales	6	-11	1

Nations League Women – League A / Group 4

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Spain	6	14	15
	2	Italy	6	3	10
	3	Sweden	6	-2	7
	4	Switzerland	6	-15	3

Nations League Women – League B / Group 1

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Ireland	6	18	18
	2	Hungary	6	2	8th
	3	Northern Ireland	6	-4	7
	4	Albania	6	-16	1

Nations League Women – League B / Group 2

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Finland	6	16	16
	2	Croatia	6	-5	9
	3	Slovakia	6	-1	8th
	4	Romania	6	-10	1

Nations League Women – League B / Group 3

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Poland	6	7	16
	2	Serbia	6	5	10
	3	Ukraine	6	-2	6
	4	Greece	6	-10	3

Nations League Women – League B / Group 4

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Czech Republic	6	7	13
	2	Bosnia and Herzegovina	6	2	11
	3	Slovenia	6	-5	6
	4	Belarus	6	-4	2

Nations League Women – League C / Group 1

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Malta	6	12	16
	2	Latvia	6	11	10
	3	Andorra	6	-15	4
	4	Moldavia	6	-8th	3

Nations League Women – League C / Group 2

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Turkey	6	16	18
	2	Lithuania	6	-5	5
	3	Luxembourg	6	-5	5
	4	Georgia	6	-6	5

Nations League Women – League C / Group 3

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Azerbaijan	6	7	16
	2	Montenegro	6	10	12
	3	Cyprus	6	-3	7
	4	Faroe Islands	6	-14	0

Nations League Women – League C / Group 4

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Israel	6	19	16
	2	Estonia	6	0	10
	3	Kazakhstan	6	1	8th
	4	Armenia	6	-20	0

Nations League Women – League C / Group 5

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	Kosovo	4	8th	10
	2	Bulgaria	4	-3	5
	3	North Macedonia	4	-5	1