Great honor for Nati coach: Pia Sundhage gives speech to the EU Parliament

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Great honor for national coach Pia Sundhage (64)! On the occasion of International Women’s Day on Friday, the Swede was allowed to give a speech to the European Parliament a day earlier. “When we enter the football field, we continually dispel the stereotypes that it is seen as a man’s world,” Sundhage said in her lecture in Brussels.

As a child she was not allowed to play football. “My love for this game led me to temporarily become a boy named Pelle. “Just to be able to play football,” says the national coach. The world is different today, but the fight for equality is far from over. “Together we can create a world where every woman and girl has the opportunity to shine on and off the field.”

Sundhage quotes Bob Dylan

Just like when she took office at the Nati, Sundhage also used music for the EU Parliament to underline her message. At the end of her speech, the women’s soccer pioneer sang a line from Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin” to applause.

“Before my speech, among all the politicians, I thought I wanted to do something different, because I am also different and have a different background,” Sundhage says afterwards. “It was more spontaneous and helped me with my nervousness.”

European Championship qualifying starts in April

The national coaches will be back in action on the football field at the beginning of April. Although Switzerland has already qualified for the 2025 home tournament, it will participate in the qualifiers and aim for promotion back to the A league. The match starts on April 5 against Turkey in Letzigrund, while Azerbaijan awaits four days later.

Source : Blick