England arrive in the beating heart of Euro 2025 with Italian job still to do

The Guardian

a day ago

Just off the shore of Lake Geneva, the Jet d'Eau fires a relentless, arching cascade 140 metres into the air. It is the centrepiece of an effortlessly refined city that has taken leave of its senses at times during Euro 2025. England supporters landing on a clear Monday morning could appreciate the landmark from high up; those feeling brave could stretch out and walk within a few dozen strides of a torrent pumped out of the ground at around 125mph.
There is hope that England's women can channel similar momentum when they face Italy at Stade de Genève in their semi-final on Tuesday. It took the squad time to switch off from their epic shootout win against Sweden in the last eight, when they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Adrenaline coursed through Sarina Wiegman's players in the hours afterwards and nobody would be averse to a sounder night's sleep this time around.
In practice nothing comes easily at this stage. It has been tempting to bill this assignment as an inconvenience before an inevitable appearance in the final on Sunday. England negotiated a fiendish group that included France and the Netherlands, their performances mixed, and it felt significant that they overcame a fine Sweden side. Italy are surprise contenders who benefited from appearing in the easier half of the draw. From the outside, it seems England have done the hard part.
There is a different feeling inside the camp. 'I think it would be really disrespectful to Italy to think we're favourites,' Wiegman said. 'They made the semi-final just like we did and that's very impressive for any team. Complacency is the biggest mistake you can make. We will have to be at our very, very best to win.'
Nonetheless, the Lionesses' travelling support smell a date with history. England are reigning champions and, even if the Swiss air can never match the headiness of Wembley in 2022, retaining the trophy abroad might be an even greater feat. England qualified for only one European Championship of the five between 1989 and 1997. The rate of progress is still in pinch-me territory.
'I can't believe I'll be waking up in 24 hours watching England play a Euros semi in Geneva,' one fan told her travelling companion as they boarded their flight at Heathrow on Monday morning. 'What a sentence,' came the reply.
It is an occasion to embrace and those present will, once again, march to the stadium in their hundreds. In Zurich, the venue for that hair-raising vanquishing of the Swedes, supporters walked in convoy for almost an hour.
England's faithful may not have everything their own way. Stade de Genève is a lucky venue for Italy, who shocked Norway here last Wednesday in the quarter-finals. The 35-year-old striker Cristiana Girelli scored twice, her second a winner in the dying moments, and will threaten an inconsistent English backline.
Italy also drew with Portugal here in the group stage and may assert a numerical advantage in the stands: 10,000 of their fans are estimated to have cheered them on in each of those games, exploiting strong cultural ties and a relatively straightforward trip across the border.
The volume will ratchet up in a smart, intelligently designed venue that holds the noise in. 'It'll be quite nice, quite intense,' the England midfielder Georgia Stanway said, comparing the stadium to the running track-flanked ground in Zurich, the Stadion Letzigrund, where England have played three of their four matches.
There has been no louder noise this summer than when Switzerland dramatically equalised here against Finland. While Stade de Genève is not routinely favoured by the local football association, partly due to a perceived lack of hospitality provision, it has arguably been the beating heart of the tournament.
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England's buildup has been clouded by the racist abuse inflicted upon Jess Carter, a key member of the side, on social media during the tournament. She has stepped back from running her Instagram account and the team will no longer take the knee before games, seeking a more consequential way to tackle racism.
The subject dominated the pre-match press conference held by Wiegman and Stanway. 'It came to the point where the knee isn't doing what we want it to,' Stanway said.
'It's ridiculous and it goes beyond football,' Wiegman said of the abuse. 'Jess is fully supported by us and by the team.' Stanway said: 'If anything it's brought us together as a team. It's something we need to cut out of society and out of football. The people who are being abusive and saying these things are not fans.'
Now England hope to put on a show, both for themselves and the millions who genuinely care. On Monday a light easterly wind sent the Jet d'Eau's spray arcing away from anyone who might have feared a drenching. Wiegman's team, though, are nowhere near home and dry.