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Inside England's Euros build-up: Earps and Bright disruption, Barcelona night out and dogs in camp

Inside England's Euros build-up: Earps and Bright disruption, Barcelona night out and dogs in camp

Yahoo4 hours ago
It was on the evening of Monday, May 26 that Mary Earps spoke face-to-face with her England team-mates, explaining she was retiring from international football. There were five weeks to go before the start of the European Championship.
Thirteen days earlier, on May 13, England manager Sarina Wiegman had called up Earps, Millie Bright and Fran Kirby for Nations League fixtures against Portugal and Spain. But just over three weeks later, all had decided — for different reasons — they were not going to play a part in the Lionesses' defence of the title they won on home soil in 2022.
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This is the story of England's eventful build-up to the European Championship.
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It was Wiegman who first informed the squad of Earps' decision, communicating the news with them before allowing the goalkeeper to speak. Some players encouraged the manager to thank the goalkeeper for her contribution but she refused, expressing sentiments of anger, frustration and disappointment.
That was not the only concern that day. Bubbling away in the background were questions regarding Bright's availability given she was not at camp because she had 'withdrawn to undertake an extended period of recovery', according to the Football Association's statement. Bright said she was 'mentally and physically' at her limits and needed a break.
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Captain Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Kirby have all praised her for speaking out about mental health and Wiegman said 'she has to take care of herself'. The manager had told Bright she was not a guaranteed starter, a decision Bright strongly disagreed with. Just over a week later, the situation had not changed. After the 2-1 defeat by Spain on June 3, Wiegman confirmed she still needed to have a conversation with Bright to determine what would happen.
A few days earlier Wiegman had spoken to Kirby in what was an emotional discussion to inform the Brighton & Hove Albion player she would not make the squad. 'I really respected the honesty and having that conversation,' said Kirby, speaking at a London event with Viagogo last week. 'Then I could give her my honesty.' The 32-year-old forward had always planned to retire after the Euros.
Wiegman asked Kirby if she wanted to go home and 'mentally decompress', a gesture Kirby really appreciated, but the midfielder wanted to be with the team, 'train hard' and enjoy her last few days as an England player. 'She really respected the way I wanted to tell people,' said Kirby, who had a picture with some of her team-mates and Wiegman after training. 'She was great in that period.'
Kirby's announcement following the Spain game surprised many but Wiegman, of course, knew it was coming. After the match the team enjoyed a night out in Barcelona, an important moment to relax, socialise and put the week behind them.
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Some players were flying back from Barcelona when Bright announced her withdrawal at 11.40am the next day, 24 hours before the official Euros squad announcement. 'I'm not able to give 100 per cent mentally or physically,' read her social media post. There was no official statement from England. The following day Chelsea confirmed in a brief statement their captain had undergone minor knee surgery.
According to sources with knowledge of the matter, who like all in this article wish to remain anonymous to protect relationships, privately some players were surprised and disappointed, while others understood Bright's decision. Kirby said last week: 'Football has taught me to never be surprised… when someone makes that decision, it's for a reason.'
Some saw Bright's withdrawal as putting her team under undue pressure given fellow centre-back Alex Greenwood has only just returned from injury, while others understood why she put her own physical and mental wellbeing first. Bright was firmly in Wiegman's mind for selection but viewed from the perspective of her club career, there was a logic to resolving any injury as soon as possible if she needed surgery at some point and was unlikely to play a starting role this summer.
Many players paid tribute to Earps' and Kirby's careers but it was noticeable that fewer players took to social media in support of Bright. Of course, the former two had retired whereas the latter had only temporarily withdrawn. According to one source, a couple of days after Earps' retirement Wiegman spoke to goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and made it clear she had full trust in her. Earps' decision had not changed the course of action.
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Within 10 days, England had lost three key figures. Some questioned the timing, citing potential disruption and distraction, but this has not harmed team cohesion — if anything it has brought the squad closer together.
From the outside, the events of this build-up period could paint the picture of a squad full of unrest but there is a positive mood and youthful bounce around the team, who are based in a plush Zurich hotel.
After Earps' announcement, Wiegman was asked if she felt her players were together. 'Yes I do,' she replied.
This whole period was laced with danger for the Dutch manager, who risked becoming isolated given she was losing three players who had been central figures throughout her time in charge.
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But even though many players are close to Earps and Bright — and there was some initial frustration with Wiegman's response — the squad's positive relationship with their coach remains unchanged.
The sentiment was they are professionals with a job to do and did not have time to ruminate. According to one source, the players would rather have people who want to be there. That is not to say the trio were disruptors by any means, but they go into the tournament with a clean slate. As Keira Walsh told Sky Sports at the England media day: 'They are not here, so we've got to look forward.'
Ever the pragmatist, Wiegman has refused to go into detail about the past. 'We're not in that situation,' she said when asked if she was firm in her mind about her No 1 prior to Earps' retirement. Similarly, when asked if she would have liked to have Kirby on standby, she said, 'Oh, that's not relevant'.
Wiegman's frank approach is not new to this team. 'Sarina has always been direct, she always says it the way it is,' said Georgia Stanway at the England media day. 'Whether you like it or not, it's something you have to take on the chin.'
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Did Wiegman play her hand too soon? Could she have kept Earps and Bright onside? Perhaps, but that would have risked a sense of resentment and implosion mid-tournament had she not selected them to play.
How the mood inside the camp develops will inevitably rely on results. England are in a tough group, and if they lose their opening game against France then it could be difficult to recover for their second match, against the Netherlands. The mood could flip quickly, questions could be asked and it is not unthinkable to imagine a scenario in which Wiegman's future is called into question, even though she has a contract until after the 2027 World Cup. But hit the ground running and the picture will look hugely positive.
The squad gathered at their Staffordshire base of St George's Park on Monday, June 16 for — in Hampton and Beth Mead's words — a pre-tournament 'boot camp' in the hot weather.
Players were welcome to bring their dogs, which encouraged socialising outside, and they had their usual mobile barista Cheals on Wheels. Earlier in the year they also did spray painting as a team-bonding activity. At the May camp they had a movie night with popcorn and candy floss on tap as they watched the horror film Sinners starring Michael B Jordan.
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As in previous years, players had the first weekend off before returning to camp for good on June 23. The key is to try to balance preparation, recovery, relaxation and tournament obligations.
The players have had media and UEFA access days, a photoshoot with official team tailor Marks & Spencer, deliveries of personalised shin pads with their number and group games printed on the front and a visit from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on June 19.
On Saturday evening they stayed overnight in Leicester before Sunday's 7-0 thrashing of Jamaica, a far easier assignment than their opening game against France will be. After that match at Leicester's King Power Stadium, they enjoyed some time with loved ones before returning to St George's Park that evening.
Family and friends, some of whom stayed over, enjoyed coffee and ice cream with the players on Monday. Wiegman has always emphasised the importance of such interaction and treating players as adults. There will be moments throughout the tournament when players have time off and family and friends can visit.
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The players' families also met Prince William who, along with fans, gave England a royal send-off the same day before they flew that evening on a chartered flight to Zurich.
Small touches like boxes of Yorkshire Tea branded as Lionesses' Tea created a home-away-from-home feel as they settled into their five-star Dolder Grand Hotel located on the outskirts of Zurich. The team did some city sightseeing and went on a boat trip on Tuesday before their first training session amid sweltering heat at midday on Wednesday.
More eyes will be on the Lionesses than ever before. Indeed the players left St George's Park wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase: 'Everyone watches the Lionesses.'
'You're brilliant together,' Prince William said. 'You create a very unique unit. It is rare in lots of other sports. Hold on to that, treasure that, build on it, because it's one of your greatest assets.'
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In the lead-up to the Euro 2022 final, Wiegman was waiting for something to go wrong, but it never did. This time, she has weathered the rocky period that has come before the tournament, the team have put initially disruptive preparation behind them and they are ready to go. The question now is: can they deliver?
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
England, Premier League, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros
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