Walsh: Spain 'deserve' to enjoy Euro 2025 final without 'controversy'
While it marked a first major trophy for La Roja, their celebrations were disrupted after Luis Rubiales kissed striker Jenni Hermoso without consent, leading to a conviction of sexual assault.
Contrary to the players' hopes, the victory in 2023 did not have the same impact in Spain as the Lionesses' Euro 2022 win had in England a year before.
'There's a lot of respect between both the teams. The most important thing for them is that they can enjoy this final, there's not the controversy surrounding it,' said Walsh.
'The girls deserve to be there, they deserve it. So first and foremost, as human beings they can actually just go out and enjoy themselves.
'I don't think there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of them were.
'It was all about the other stuff that had gone on and as a professional, that was disappointing to see. I have a lot of friends in that team, and they deserved more than what they got.'
Walsh was playing her domestic football in Spain at the time of the World Cup final, coming up against many of her Barcelona teammates in the clash.
Having sandwiched her time with the Spanish giants between spells at Manchester City and Chelsea, she saw firsthand the differences in uptake following England's international success and Spain's.
'Experiencing what it was like in Spain, they could have had more,' added Walsh.
'The way [the WSL] jumped after we won the Euros and everything around it, if you compare it to Spain, it probably wasn't the same and they had won the World Cup.'
Her links with the Blaugrana mean she will once more come up against familiar opposition in Basel when England face Spain at St. Jakob Arena with a second consecutive European title up for grabs.
'I speak to Jana Fernandez a lot, we're good friends, and obviously I've got a few friends from Barcelona as well,' she said.
'She was just texting me and saying about our last two games. She said that she's happy for us that we're in the final and said there's a lot of respect between the two teams.
'Moving abroad is difficult because you are on your own. I think that's why I've got so many good friends on the Spanish team because they've always looked after me.
'Irene Paredes always invited me round for dinner with her family and when I wasn't feeling great, I was with Mariona. All those girls really, really spent time to take care of me.'
Time to go again.
We will face Spain in the #WEURO2025 final. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/w5FyytMHrO — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 23, 2025
But while the good feeling remains towards her former teammates, on Sunday all that will be set aside as attention focuses solely on how to beat Spain.
'It is a rivalry. There's respect between the two teams and they play incredible football, and we know that we do on our day as well,' said Walsh.
'It's going to be a great game and hopefully it's a good one for the fans to watch. After the game, we'll go back to being friends, but right now we're rivals.'
And while that rivalry has been put the test in the Nations League twice in 2025, with a win apiece, tournament football brings a new dynamic that both sides have shown they are capable of handling.
While the Lionesses have earned a reputation for never giving up, twice coming from behind to win after extra time or penalties, Spain also proved their mettle with 1-0 extra-time victory against Germany.
'We've not given up in any game, so that's the message we've been sending,' said Walsh.
'But also, Spain are an incredible team and we've played them many times and we know what their strengths are.
'It's going to be a difficult game and obviously they went to extra time last night and won, so they've proved that they can also do the same.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
England captain Leah Williamson delivers powerful message ahead of Euro 2025 final
England captain Leah Williamson said the Lionesses are determined to not be a 'flash in the pan' and 'continue their legacy' as game-changers as they prepare to face world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 final in Basel. The Lionesses have reached a third consecutive major tournament final and will defend the European title won at Wembley three years ago against a Spain team who defeated them in the World Cup final in 2023. Sarina Wiegman 's side have the opportunity to be the first English team to win a major title on foreign soil and Williamson, who was also captain for their historic success at Euro 2022 but then missed the World Cup through injury, said the Lionesses are motivated to add to their story. 'You don't want to be a flash in the pan, a memory. When we spoke before 2022, we said it was the start of something and we are still trying to play our role in that as well,' Williamson said. 'Being here and being on this stage, we know how powerful that is and I hope it continues to grow. I hope the respect for the women's game, the respect for women and women's sport continues and we can try our best to continue to elevate that. 'The beautiful thing about 2022 was that I'm not sure any of us will ever be a part of something like that again in terms of the change, the story and journey. "Being away from home is special in a different way. You go out to represent your country somewhere else and the weight of that is important to consider. It sometimes adds a little extra. "The history on the line, it seems [when] this team enters a new year there's so much to be done and could be done and I think it's a real privileged time to be part of this team. 'The opportunity to be the first this and first that is a big motivator but more because we know what it does for women's football and continues the legacy that we've already started." Spain defeated England 1-0 in the World Cup final two years ago but Williamson disagreed with the idea that the Lionesses were underdogs against the world champions, who are aiming to win the Euros for the first time. 'I think tomorrow we play a game against the world champions who continue to prove themselves over and over in the way they play football,' Williamson said. 'They are fantastic footballing team and they are the best at what they do and we're very much aware of that. 'We think we're pretty good in areas as well. We need to be at our best to beat Spain. I think they need to be at their best to beat us too. There is a lot of respect between the two teams. I would be hesitant to say there's an underdog in this scenario. 'Ultimately we're going against the world champions tomorrow and that's not an easy job. We will prepare ourselves as best we can for that challenge.' England reached the Euro 2025 final after requiring miraculous escapes against Sweden in the quarter-finals and Italy in the semi-finals and Williamson said England could not afford to go into the final afraid of defeat. 'We focus on being the best people we can to each other, performing the best that we can and hopefully that gives you the result you want,' Williamson said. 'But definitely not fearful of losing because you do expend energy in ways you don't want to." Wiegman confirmed England have all 23 players available for the final, including Lauren James - who has recovered from an ankle injury to be in contention. 'We had 23 players on the pitch today and everyone came through so if everyone recovers well then we have 23 players available for tomorrow,' Wiegman said. 'We have many players that can impact and we know [James] can have an impact so that will be nice.' 'I would just echo what Sarina says, we have a team of talented players,' Williamson added. 'We all bring something slightly different just like the others - obviously having [James] available is best case scenario for us.'
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Leah Williamson makes 'no fear' pledge with England's Lionesses on verge of history
Leah Williamson's message remains the same as she aims to captain England to a second straight European Championships title with victory over Spain in Basel on Sunday England captain Leah Williamson insists the Lionesses have to go into today's Euro 2025 final with no fear - just as they did when they won it all in 2022. 'There's a lovely quote that I like and it's: 'Nobody wins afraid of losing',' Williamson said in the last Euros after an 8-0 win over Norway. England took inspiration from that victory and went all the way on home soil, beating Germany in the final at Wembley, and the mentality hasn't changed as they chase back-to-back triumphs. 'That's the main thing. If you're fearful of losing, even if you win, do you enjoy that experience, do you fully take it in?' Williamson asked. 'Do you give everything that you have? Or are you expending energy in the wrong way? 'I think this team is so task-focused that whatever is in our way, we will try to overcome that together. I don't think we're a team fearful of losing. Anything can happen in football – there is so much out of your control. 'We focus on being the best people we can to each other, performing the best that we can and hopefully that gives you the result you want. But definitely not fearful of losing because you do expend energy in ways you don't want to." England already know they can beat Spain, having won 1-0 Wembley earlier in the year before suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to the same opponents in June. The teams also famously met in the 2023 World Cup final, with Spain winning 1-0 on that occasion through an Olga Carmona goal. All that could make for a tight encounter, and manager Sarina Wiegman recognises her team needs to be in top gear. 'We've played each other a lot over the last couple of years. You always have learnings,' Wiegman said. 'They will have learned from us in the games we've played. [The final] is a new situation so hopefully we can exploit some of the weaknesses they have too.' It's a third straight major tournament final for England, and a fifth in a row for Wiegman including Euros and World Cup runs with the Netherlands. There has almost been an expectation that the Lionesses will be there or thereabouts, but that doesn't make this year's run any less of an achievement in Wiegman's eyes. 'I think every tournament, of course, you want to perform, and there's expectations, but you also have expectations for yourself,' the manager said. 'I just know that going into a final is already very, very special. Making the final, there's only two teams that can make the final. 'So if you talk about pressure, that's not really a pressure, it's very special. And when you go to a final, you really want to win it, too. So that's how I mean this. We're happy that we're in the final, and really want to win it and do everything to make that happen.'
The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Bend It Like Beckham follow-up in pipeline more than 20 years after original film was released
More than two decades after the release of Bend It Like Beckham, writer and director Gurinder Chadha OBE has announced she is planning to revive the hugely popular story. On the eve of the final of the 2025 Euros, where the Lionesses will try to defend their crown against Spain in Basel on Sunday, Chadha has spoken of plans for a follow up to the film that starred Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. What format it takes, whether a sequel to the feature film, series or alternative, will be decided in due course. 'I am so happy to be here in Basel for the Euros, the atmosphere is amazing,' said Chadha. 'What I can share with you today is my very clear wish to bring the beloved characters from Bend It Like Beckham back to you and audiences globally very, very soon. Women's football is more competitive, more exciting, and more global than ever. It is an honor for me to be a small part of it.' Chadha, who has fielded requests for a return of the story for years but has waited for the right plot to come to her so as to not tarnish the legacy of the original, added: 'After 23 years and being unable to come up with a storyline that was as good as the original, I have finally found a fantastic story for a Bend It Like Beckham follow up.' Released in 2002, Bend It Like Beckham showed football obsessed Jesminder 'Jess' Bhamra balance joining the Hounslow Harriers and finding herself on the pitch while grappling with family, cultural and societal expectations of what a Punjabi British girl should be. It was a huge box office hit and is the only film distributed in every country in the world, including North Korea. 'The original film, for me, was about lifting up girls and saying you can do and be anything you want, even though society dictates what you can and can't do,' said Chadha, who has also confirmed US women's national team manager, Emma Hayes, is collaborating on the new project. 'That message is still relevant today. Even though women's football rides so high around the world, and that's amazing and it's wonderful that the original film has been part of that legacy, I feel there is more that I can do and so that's what I'm writing. It will be hard hitting, of course, but it will also be incredibly joyous, how can it not be as a follow up to Bend It Like Beckham?' 'I'm super excited to have connected with Emma who, when I first met her, said: 'On my god, I was Keira Knightley, that was me!' I know all the amazing work that she is doing both in front and behind the scenes for women's football, so have brought her on board as a collaborator as I write the script which I'm working on right now.' Hayes, who won seven league titles, two League Cups and five FA Cups with Chelsea before moving into international football, winning Olympic gold two months after taking up her post, said: 'I met Gurinder at a chance meeting in Cannes in June. It felt like the stars aligned for us to meet. I told her the massive impact the film had had on me when I was younger and that I was Keira Knightley in Bend it Like Beckham. I cried in the cinema watching the film because I felt just like Jess and Jules.' Hayes moved to the US early on in her career in search of greater opportunities and professionalism in the women's game and it played a pivotal role in her development. 'There was no hope for women's football in Britain then, so I was going to the US to try my luck there,' said Hayes. 'I could never have dreamed of how much that film helped change the women's game. Now, I have the best job in world football as head coach of the US women's national team. Like I said, the stars aligned and now I'm helping Gurinder with all my experience and insight in the game.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who will be attending the Euro 2025 final with Chadha, described the announcement as a 'brilliant moment for British film'. 'Bend It Like Beckham captured something so special about Britain, our spirit, our diversity, and our ability to dream big in the face of challenge,' she said. 'Gurinder Chadha gave us a story that resonated far beyond the screen and became part of our cultural DNA. 'The announcement of a follow up is a brilliant moment for British film. It builds on a legacy that continues to inspire and shows the world what British storytelling can do. Productions like this help tell our national story, remind us who we are, and who we can be.'
