Anxiety and excitement combine for Williamson as Wiegman looks for a new England
'I've probably held some anxiety up until this moment just because I wanted to be here and I wanted to be here with the team and I wanted to experience another tournament with England,' said the Lionesses' captain. 'It's special when you come to another country, to represent your country and just take everything in. It's a bit different to England in 2022. I'm very excited but so much has changed, so I'm intrigued to come back and enjoy this tournament football.'
England look different from the team that beat Germany in the final in 2022. Millie Bright stepped back to protect her mental and physical health and Jill Scott, Ellen White, Rachel Daly, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby have retired completely or, in the case of the last two, retired from international duty. The mantra has been that this is a new England.
'The team has been a bit in transition, of course,' the manager, Sarina Wiegman, said, 'and we absolutely cherish what we have done before, and we never forget it, and those are lifetime experiences for us and for our families and also for the fans. But you have to move on and you have to be on top. Things are changing very quickly, so we have to, too. We came together in February and we said: 'It's a new challenge.' The approach was there anyway, but we called it the New England.'
France have changed too, but there are familiar faces everywhere, not least in the dynamic Chelsea forward Sandy Baltimore. How do you stop her? 'Whisper in her ear,' said Lucy Bronze, her Chelsea teammate, with a grin. What do you say? 'Nothing in English,' the England full-back said, still grinning.
Bronze, competing at her seventh major tournament having been part of every Euros and World Cup squad since 2013, has probably played with or against most players in Switzerland for Euro 2025.
There is one absent face in particular she will miss, though – that of the France centre-back Wendie Renard, who was dropped by the manager, Laurent Bonadei, along with Kenza Dali and Eugénie Le Sommer. It is a testament to Bronze's competitive nature that she was unhappy about Renard's omission.
'I want to play against Wendie,' she said of her former Lyon teammate. 'I want to play against the strongest French team. I want Wendie to be playing, defending corners and I can jump over her and win the ball. Winning a header over Wendie Renard, that's an achievement.'
Renard's replacement as France's captain, Griedge Mbock, another former Lyon clubmate of Bronze's, is a doubt. The Paris Saint-Germain centre-back has been training separately after a calf injury. The potential stand-in, 21-year-old Alice Sombath, who has four caps, was also at Lyon with Bronze. 'She's probably got more maturity than people might give her credit for,' Bronze said.
France have an enviable attacking lineup that includes Kadidiatou Diani, Baltimore and Marie-Antoinette Katoto. 'I think England have one of the best attacking lineups,' said Bronze. 'The type of attackers France have got, we have quite similar, and as defenders we defend against that every day in training.'
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Bronze has played in some of the best teams in the history of women's domestic football, so where does England's front three, likely to be drawn from Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead, Lauren James and Chloe Kelly, rank in terms of providing that top-level test of a defender in training?
'I'd say it's similar to those kinds of teams that I've been in,' said Bronze. 'I might be playing up against Hempo for 30 minutes and then it's LJ, then it's Chloe; it's just non-stop, and they've all got such different attributes. Even someone like Michelle [Agyemang], who is relatively young, just runs into people and bodies them because she's so strong.'
James is ready to play more minutes, said Wiegman, after returning from a hamstring injury as a substitute against Jamaica last weekend. 'I won't give you the lineup but she played 30 minutes last week so she can play more than that,' the manager said.
After France, England face the 2017 European champions, the Netherlands, on Wednesday before completing the group stage against Wales. It has been referred to as the group of death. There is little room for error.
Bronze said it was 'a good and a bad thing' having to start against a serious contender. 'If we lose that game, everyone says it's the worst; if we win that game, it's the best,' she said. 'We just try to look at the positives: the fact that we get to test ourselves against the good teams straight away. There's no surprises going through the tournament. We know the standard that you have to be at. When you get to these kinds of tournaments, you want to play in the big games against the best players. Why not have it in your first game? It makes it more exciting.'
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The father of Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva is conforted by a woman during the wake for his two sons in Gondomar Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro arrives for the brothers' wake at the Sao Cosme Chapel in the town of Gondomar near Porto He was overwhelmed as he looked at the flowers and other tributes Former captain of Liverpool Jordan Henderson hugging with Diogo Jota last year. Jordan wept for him today Diogo and Andre's mother Isabel, father Joaquim and their grandfather were emotional on arriving at the chapel. Joaquim hugged several people and was supported by his brother and later raised a hand to mourners as he left with his wife. They returned around an hour later. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also attended the wake along with Diogo's agent Jorge Mendes. The President of Portugal, Marcelo de Sousa, came later. The mood outside Sao Cosme Chapel was one of respectful silence and contemplation today. There is a major police presence and officers taped off roads and installed barriers near the church. Even on the streets beyond, in the restaurants and cafes of this Porto suburb, the mood is subdued and silent. Father-of-three Diogo Jota was killed in the early hours of yesterday morning along with his footballer brother Andre Silva, 26. Their acid green 200mph £180,000 Lamborghini Huracan burst into flames after a suspected tyre blowout on the A-52 highway near Zamora in north-west Spain. No other vehicles were involved, police have said. The brothers were on a road trip to the northern Spanish port city of Santander to catch a ferry to the UK after the Liverpool player and Portuguese international was advised not to travel by plane following lung surgery. Family members were filmed embracing each other as they broke down in tears before walking together towards the chapel. The wake proper is set to start around 4pm, with Portugal's president Marcelo de Sousa confirming he will be among those arriving at that time to pay their last respects ahead of a funeral mass in the neighbouring church - the Igrega Matriz de Gondomar - at 10am tomorrow. It is not yet clear how public the wake will be. The chapel and neighbouring church are around a half-hour drive from the church in Porto where Diogo and his wife got married less than two weeks ago. Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo initially revealed the funeral would take place at 4pm today before confirming yesterday evening it had been put back to tomorrow morning. 'We're available to celebrate [their life] with everyone and to share the pain and the Christian hope,' Macedo told CNN. Jota and his wife after Liverpool won the title in May It is understood the delay was linked to minor paperwork issues the men's loved ones, who were still in Spain until late yesterday, were trying to resolve before being able to repatriate the bodies. Gondomar Town Hall issued an emotional statement late yesterday as it confirmed it had decreed a day of official mourning. It said: 'Gondomar Town Hall expresses its deepest sympathy at the death of international footballer Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, illustrious Gondomar residents who left prematurely, leaving behind a remarkable sporting career and an example of dedication and professionalism. 'Throughout his career, Diogo Jota stood out for his footballing talent and for the committed way in which he always represented the region and the country, winning national and international recognition. 'At this time of sorrow and consternation, Gondomar Town Hall extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of these two Gondomar residents. 'By way of tribute, the Mayor of Gondomar Luis Filipe Araujo, has decreed by official order a day of municipal mourning to be observed this Friday, 4 July. 'During this period, the municipal flag will be flown at half-mast in all municipal buildings and facilities.' The mayor described Diogo Jota today as 'an extraordinary talent and a true ambassador for Gondomar' where he grew up and went to school. The bodies of Diogo and his brother were greeted by heartbroken supporters and applause as their coffins arrived at a church in Portugal ahead of their funeral tomorrow. Mourners will gather early this morning to pay their respects at a wake in Gondomar after Jota, 28, and his sibling died in a fiery crash in the early hours on Thursday. Dozens were already standing outside at the church last night and tears rolled down their faces as the hearses transporting the two bodies arrived after 11pm. The tyre of Jota's Lamborghini Huracan is said to have blown out while overtaking another vehicle on the A-52 at Cernadilla near Zamora, just ten miles over the border from Portugal. The supercar then came off the road, rolled and burst into flames. The acid green front of what appears to be the front of Jota's Lamborghini Huracan lies at the side of the road where the incident took place in the early hours of Thursday morning The crash, which took place at around 12.35am, also ignited the surrounding vegetation. The emergency services were called but the brothers could not be saved. Police have said they do not know who had been behind the wheel. Spanish government official Angel Blanco said the siblings died at the scene. On Thursday afternoon, hearses were spotted arriving at a funeral home in the Spanish town of Puebla de Sanabria, where the bodies were taken after the incident. Jota's agent Jorge Mendes was pictured accompanying the player's mother as they entered the funeral home, and he told reporters it was a 'very difficult' time. 'We lost two great people. Diogo is an example as a person, husband, son, professional. I still can't believe it, it's very difficult,' said Mendes, in tears. The hearses later departed for Gondomar. This morning's wake will take place just a half-hour drive from Jota's home city of Porto, northern Portugal - where just two weeks ago the 28-year-old married his childhood sweetheart Rute Cardoso in a service packed with family and friends. Jota and his brother Andre, 26, were reportedly on a road trip to Santander to catch a ferry to Britain after he was advised not to fly following lung surgery. Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo said the wake will take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before the funeral Saturday at the Catholic church next door - the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar (pictured) Jota is pictured (far right) with his wife Rute and younger brother Andre Tyre marks can be seen on the road where Jota's Lamborghini overtook a car and then collided straight into the crash barriers. Tragically the crash claimed the lives of the two brothers Liverpool are due to start pre-season training on Monday, so Jota was heading back to the UK on a road trip. A Brittany Ferries service from Santander to Plymouth left at 4pm on Thursday, arriving in Devon at 11.15am on Friday. The football club said in a statement that they were 'devastated' by the tragedy and that Diogo's family, friends and fans had suffered an 'unimaginable loss '. Flowers and tributes have been laid outside Anfield by supporters in tears. Jota had just married the mother of his three children and partner since the age of 16. He had described himself as the luckiest man in the world to be her husband, sharing footage of their wedding day in his final Instagram post on Wednesday. Rute shared more wedding day pictures in a social media post and said: 'My dream come true.' Jota then replied in the comments: 'I'm the lucky one.' The pair got together in 2013, it has been reported, and have three children together - two sons and a daughter who was born in November. Jota was part of Liverpool's Premier League-winning side in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals in 26 appearances. He also played for Portugal's national team and helped them win the Nations League last month. His younger brother played for Penafiel, in the second tier of Portuguese football. The Spanish civil guard said Jota was found dead at the scene alongside his brother. Jota's agent Jorge Mendes was emotional when he arrived at the funeral home Two hearses were spotted arriving at the funeral home in the town of Puebla de Sanabria Police are investigating the cause of the crash but believe based on the marks on the road, pictured, a tyre blew out just before the incident The vegetation roadside caught fire after the incident (pictured) The couple have three children, pictured at Anfield in May after winning the Premier League 'The 1-1-2 Castilla y León operations room received several calls reporting a vehicle accident at Km. 65 of the A-52, in the municipality of Cernadilla, Zamora. A car was reported to have been involved in an accident and the vehicle was on fire,' they said. '1-1-2 notified the Zamora Traffic Police, the Zamora Provincial Council Fire Brigade, and the Sacyl Emergency Coordination Center (CCU) of this accident. 'From there, a Medical Emergency Unit (UME) and the Primary Care Medical Staff (MAP) from the Mombuey Health Center were sent, who confirmed the death of two people on the scene.' The Portuguese national football team said they are 'devastated' by the death of Jota, adding he 'was not only a fantastic player with almost 50 caps for the national team, but an extraordinary person who was respected by all his teammates and opponents '. His death was confirmed by Pedro Proenca, head of the Portuguese Football Federation, who said in a statement: 'The Portuguese Football Federation and all of Portuguese football are completely devastated by the deaths of Diogo Jota and André Silva, on Thursday morning, in Spain. 'Much more than an amazing player, with almost 50 matches for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all teammates and opponents, someone with an infectious joy and a reference in the community itself. 'On my behalf, and on behalf of the Portuguese Football Federation, I express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diogo and Andre Silva, as well as Liverpool FC and FC Penafiel, the clubs where, respectively, lined up the players. 'The Portuguese Football Federation has already asked UEFA for a minute's silence, this Thursday, before the match of our national team with Spain, in the women's European Championship. Lost to two champs. The happy couple with their children Denis, Duarte, and a daughter born in 2024 They showed off their rings after exchanging vows in front of family and friends Jota and Rute leave the church. They later said that they had both said: 'Yes to forever.' Jota described himself as the luckiest man in the world in an interview 'The disappearance of Diogo and Andre Silva represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football and we will do everything to, daily, honor their legacy'. Jota joined Liverpool from Wolves in 2020 and won three major trophies with the Merseyside club - including the Premier League title last season. Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota's friend and teammate, said on Thursday: 'It doesn't make any sense. Just now we were together for the national team, you were just married. 'To your family, to your wife and children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world. I know you will always be with them. Read More BREAKING NEWS Diogo Jota's funeral to start today: Liverpool star being taken home to Portugal after fiery crash 'RIP, Diogo and Andre. We will miss you.' Liverpool boss Arne Slot penned a touching tribute to Jota, vowing he will 'never be forgotten'. He began: 'What to say? What can anyone say at a time like this when the shock and the pain is so incredibly raw? I wish I had the words but I know I do not. 'All I have are feelings that I know so many people will share about a person and a player we loved dearly and a family we care so much about.' There were also tributes from the likes of Jurgen Klopp, who described Jota as his 'great friend', as well as Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
