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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Euro 2025: our writers hand out their awards from the tournament
England seemed to have lost it once, twice, three times against Sweden on a night of nail-shredding drama that sharpened the sense that destiny had rich bounty in store for Sarina Wiegman's side. It was also the first match, no doubt of many over the coming years, that made a hero of Michelle Agyemang. Nick Ames The final between England and Spain was exactly what I expected from two heavyweights of the game. It was a gladiatorial tactical battle between Spain's possession-loving football and England's defensive diligence. A fitting ending to a brilliant tournament. Sophie Downey France and Germany's quarter-final in Basel, which the Germans won 6-5 in a high-quality penalty shootout, provided compelling drama from start to finish and it was a game that had it all; a mindless red card, disallowed goals, VAR drama and the best save I can ever recall seeing live as Ann-Katrin Berger seemed to defy physics to claw the ball off the line. Ultimately it was a match that saw Germany doggedly progress despite playing 107 minutes of the game with 10 players. It was a remarkable knockout tie. Tom Garry Sweden 2-2 England. That game had just about everything. The prospect of an England comeback felt almost impossible approaching the 80th minute, but within a matter of seconds you just knew that they were going to do it. The drama! Emillia Hawkins Sweden 2-2 England. Everyone will remember the stirring England comeback and the dramatic penalty shootout but this is a game that also deserves to be remembered for Sweden's devastating opening burst, a standard of pulsating attacking football that stands with any produced at this tournament. Jonathan Liew France v Germany. This game had everything. A red card, a penalty, resolute German defending, THAT Ann-Katrin Berger save and a penalty shootout. The fact Germany were the first team at a women's Euros to progress after going down to 10 players showed just how hard they worked. Berger also put in some great saves during the shootout – goalkeeper of the tournament for me. Sarah Rendell It has to be the final doesn't it? England's rollercoaster ride of a tournament concluded in a thrilling showpiece between magical world champions Spain and the Euro holders. It was the final everyone wanted and it delivered. England were battlers, tactically astute and disciplined, Spain were Spain, master technicians on the ball. Suzanne Wrack Hannah Hampton was little known to the wider public a month ago and had replaced a national treasure in Mary Earps between the posts. She left Switzerland having earned the same status by producing exceptional performances of which multiple penalty saves were only part. Calm, composed on the ball and with cat-like reflexes, Hampton deserves every credit. NA Michelle Agyemang. What a player. The 19-year-old was given an opportunity and seized it with both hands. The way she impacted games caught the eye but equally the way she came on in high pressure situations and handled them without panic. Will surely be a star for England for years to come. SD Chloe Kelly made a gamechanging impact in all three of England's knockout ties and therefore has to win this, in my eyes, although the best technical footballer was Aitana Bonmatí. Kelly came up clutch in the big moments, whether it was with her two lethal crosses to create England's two quickfire goals in their comeback against Sweden, or her lively performance and late winner against Italy, or her assist for England's equaliser in the final followed by her nerveless, title-clinching penalty. TG Aitana Bonmatí. It's crazy to think that she was hospitalised with viral meningitis just days before Euro 2025 started. Another great tournament for the midfielder despite the penalty miss at the end. EH Patri Guijarro has been the standout player for Spain at this tournament, the one who makes everything work: absorbing pressure, providing an outlet in buildup, creating space, creating angles and snuffing out counterattacks. JL Honourable mentions must go to Klara Bühl and Iman Beney who were incredible but for me it has to be Lucy Bronze. The defender started every game and played 598 minutes for England in total and the performances, particularly her leadership and skill against Sweden, were crucial to the Lionesses retaining the trophy. The fact she did all that with a fractured tibia is unbelievable and she once again lived up to one of her middle names: 'Tough'. SR Aitana Bonmatí may have scooped player of the tournament but, for me, it was her midfield companion Patri Guijarro that deserves all the plaudits. She became the second player on record, since the 2011 World Cup, to have completed 100-plus passes and won possession more than 10 times in a knockout stage game at a major tournament – after the Denmark great Katrine Pedersen. SW We can quibble over Ann-Katrin Berger's positioning all we like, but for sheer did-she-really-try-that at such a knife-edge point in Spain's semi-final against Germany, the winner from Aitana Bonmatí stands above them all. NA Cristiana Girelli's wonder strike against Portugal. The 35-year-old always delivers for Italy and did so in spectacular fashion on this occasion. SD Clàudia Pina's curler into the top corner against Belgium takes this for me, although her near-identical finish against Switzerland in the quarter-final was almost equally worthy. We should also throw more praise at Vivianne Miedema's strike against Wales and Lauren James' superb first-half goal against the Netherlands. TG Lauren James v Netherlands. Not necessarily just because of the strike – which was great in itself – but also because of the buildup. That long pass from Hannah Hampton through to Alessia Russo in attack was absolutely exquisite. EH Vivianne Miedema v Wales. Not just the screaming finish into the top corner from distance, but the quick feet and clever body feints to create the space for herself. JL Clàudia Pina had a fine tournament and her goal against Belgium was an absolute stunner. It was similar to the rocket she scored against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final. A sensational strike from outside the box. SR There may have been prettier goals this tournament but the context of Michelle Agyemang's equaliser against Italy made it all the more remarkable. At just 19 years old, with less than a minute left of added time and with England 1-0 down and facing an exit from the tournament, the coolness with which the Arsenal forward scored through the legs of both a defender and the keeper was stunning. The celebrations also birthed one of the photos of the tournament, Girls on the Ball's Rachel O'Sullivan's renaissance-painting-esque shot capturing the celebrations of the bench and players' families. SW I loved being present in Geneva, where the best and loudest atmospheres materialised, for Switzerland's dramatic draw with Finland. The roof blew off when Riola Xhemaili equalised, sending the hosts through to the last eight, and it felt like a genuinely transformational moment in the country's relationship with women's football. NA Obviously, England lifting the trophy but I feel incredibly lucky to get to work major tournaments with some of the best in the business. The way we all pulled together to help each other this last month is what it is all about. SD When Riola Xhemaili scored a 92nd-minute goal to send Switzerland into the knockout stages, I was watching the action on a screen that evidently had around a 10-second delay compared to other televisions, and therefore hearing the roar – before actually seeing the goal myself – of noise and cheers echoing all around the streets of Zurich, as an entire city was glued to the game and celebrating joyously, was a sound I'll never forget. That was the moment I fully appreciated how emotionally-invested the host nation had become into their women's football team, which was really heartening. TG Michelle Agyemang's goal v Italy. From the verge of heartbreak to absolute ecstasy. The fact a 19-year-old kept England's hopes alive on just her fourth appearance for the senior team, four years after she was a ball girl, is incredible. EH Getting recognised by Ellen White's husband at half-time during the final. Happy to report Ellen and Callum are both avid Guardian readers. JL Michelle Agyemang became a star overnight with her equaliser against Sweden but the fact she did it again against Italy was quite something. The roar when she was shown on the big screen getting ready to come on in the final shows what she already means to England fans. A special summer for a special player. SR The interaction with the players. Many of them know that some of us have been on this journey with them for a very long time. It's been an incredible privilege to tell their stories and this tournament had stories in abundance. The jokes, the looks, the interviews. They are a very likeable group. SW Resource and attention need to be concentrated on countries that risk being left behind. England, Germany, France and Spain – for all their specific local issues – are going to be just fine. It is time to make sure clubs and national teams outside the leading pack are equipped to develop in both sporting and economic terms: 'The head must not leave the body', as a number of top Uefa executives are fond of saying. NA Just more of everything. More investment, more coverage, more fans, more viewership. The sky is the limit at the moment. SD The next Euros in 2029 needs to feature larger stadiums to try to surpass a million spectators, and there are some strong contenders with Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal and a joint Denmark-Sweden bid all in the running. In England, the challenge now has to be to improve the grassroots facilities for girls and women across the country and make sure the huge influx of young girls who have taken up the sport in the past few years can be retained within the sport into their teenage years and adult lives, for a long-lasting legacy. Lastly, the Women's Super League needs to capitalise on the national team's success by reversing last season's decline in average attendances. TG It's been fantastic to see how Switzerland as a nation has embraced women's football this summer. Hopefully we see the same with other nations. Given the success of the Lionesses once again this year it would also be great to see a steady increase in TV viewing figures and attendances across England. EH This is a thornier question than it appears. Huge levels of interest at big events do not necessarily translate to mass appeal at domestic or grassroots level. But as long as the funding is there (and fairly distributed), and as long as the institutional will to grow the game remains (looking at you, Jim Ratcliffe and Daniel Levy), we can anticipate another few years of cautious, optimistic growth. JL Hopefully this Euros win will see attendances in the WSL rise again and for other leagues across Europe to reap the same reward with most teams impressing one way or another at the tournament. But the next step now is to focus on and celebrate the football and the players. This Euros win for the Lionesses felt like it was all about the football rather than having to prove something to others. SR The sky's the limit. The impact of the win in 2022 was evident in the support for England this time round. That will be elevated again. This team has changed the face of women's football and society for the better. Their platform is bigger than ever and there can be little doubt that they will take full advantage of that increased authority to challenge things and fight for more for women and girls. SW
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Sarina Wiegman boogies to Burna Boy at England Euros parade in London
Of all of England's remarkable achievements of the past month, Sarina Wiegman dancing to afrobeats on stage in front of 65,000 people may be the most extraordinary. This episode was the highlight of England's parade for the Euro 2025 trophy, which made the equivalent event in 2022 feel like small fry. Starting along The Mall, concluding in front of Buckingham Palace and watched by an exultant crowd, this was a final, emphatic symbol that this team has the nation fawning. Three years ago England marked their first Euros title with a ceremony in Trafalgar Square. While the mood was euphoric and emotional, the occasion felt a little underwhelming and as if it had been thrown together at the last minute. Held the day after England had won the final in front of 87,192 people at Wembley, the celebration attracted 7,000 fans. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Yet on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after England had won their second successive Euros title by toppling Spain in Switzerland, the team enjoyed a massive, spectacular and at times surreal parade. Several fans defied police instructions by climbing over fences for better vantage points. Unlike in 2022, when supporters were generally happy to offer mellow congratulations, spectators were immersed in Lionesses mania. Most importantly, the 2025 version had Wiegman's dance moves. She initially cut a reserved, cerebral figure after becoming England's head coach in 2021, and remained relatively restrained throughout the Euro 2022 triumph. She has since gradually let her guard down, and showed more emotion than ever during England's thrilling run to Euro 2025 glory. Yet even her animated approach in Switzerland had prepared no one for the scenes on Tuesday. First, two bits of context. In a press conference in November 2023, Wiegman admitted that her favourite song was For My Hand by Burna Boy, featuring Ed Sheeran. During Euro 2025 she occasionally broke out into a dance to celebrate England's dramatic victories. The outcome? Burna Boy surprising Wiegman during the parade, of course. The singer emerged just after Wiegman had been interviewed, prompting an expression of shock from the usually calm and collected coach. Before anyone could quite process what was happening, Wiegman was unveiling her dance moves while her players cheered her on from behind. This was a trivial moment with a meaningful undertone. Wiegman has been perceived as a stern, blunt Dutchwoman who is brilliant at winning football matches but not exactly much fun at a party. However, as she displayed some rather nifty footwork, it was clear that she knows how to enjoy herself too. Some supporters will never accept a foreigner leading the national team but, if any coach can become an honorary Englishwoman, it is Wiegman. She has delivered unprecedented success and is now sufficiently beloved by the country to feel comfortable making herself look silly in front of an enormous audience. There were other memorable moments from the parade. A tearful Leah Williamson could barely talk as she looked down The Mall. Lucy Bronze at least acted the most hungover. Chloe Kelly was unsurprisingly the one to drop the f-bomb. Heather Small made a late cameo to sing Proud. There was room for the profound too, as the Euros trophy was brought on to the stage by Kerry Davis, the Lionesses's first black player. Nevertheless, Wiegman stole the show. She is a prodigious tactician, empathetic woman-manager and, as the parade revealed, a goofy dancer. Right now, it is impossible not to love her.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The lawless London tourist hotspot in the shadow of Parliament: How Westminster Bridge has become a magnet for violent street scammers, illegal traders and pickpocket gangs
Sickening footage of scammers spitting at a man when he filmed them fleecing tourists on Westminster Bridge is the latest proof of the crime-wave gripping one of London's most iconic landmarks. Swindlers tricking visitors into betting on impossible-to-win 'cup and ball' games have become a common sight on the bridge, which sits in the shadow of the Houses of Parliament. Keen to expose the predators, a social media user filmed them - only to be shoved, abused and spat on. Westminster Bridge has become notorious as a hotbed for lawbreakers of all forms, from pickpockets, bag thieves and unlicensed pedicab riders to illegal traders hawking hot nuts, ice cream and hotdogs. Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly, told MailOnline: 'This is happening right under the nose of New Scotland Yard - which overlooks the bridge. You must ask yourself why the hell this is allowed to carry on.' One recent victim of the bridge's growing lawlessness was volunteer policeman Ned Donavan - a grandson of Roald Dahl - who was punched, kicked and choked by a mob when he tried to stop one of their accomplices pickpocketing a female tourist. Britain's 'revolving door' borders are one factor hindering police, with Romanian career criminal Ionut Stoica arrested on the bridge last year for illegal gambling and deported from the UK - only to be caught at almost the same spot just weeks later. The scammers themselves are highly organised, with spotters recruited to look out for police and council inspectors. This prompted a pair of enterprising officers to snare two of them by dressing up as Batman and Robin. The TikTok video, entitled 'five minutes of unedited scammers', was shared online earlier this month. Cup and ball games involve betting on where a ball is concealed under one of three cups. Tourists are lured in by accomplices who loudly celebrate to make it seem like they have just won money. But in reality, the game is impossible to win. The scam is a Europe-wide problem, with groups of criminals travelling between different cities to carry out the con. Members of the public who confront the gangs are often met with violence, as shown by the experience of TikToker @londonscammers. As he films several groups of scammers, the criminals - some of whom are dressed in designer gear - shout abuse and demand he delete the footage, before spitting at him when he bravely refuses. Susan Hall, who previously stood as Tory candidate for London Mayor, worries about the damage such scenes cause to the capital's reputation. 'The people who are getting scammed are tourists, so that doesn't send a good signal about London,' she said. 'I was recently driving a black cab along the bridge and watching it going on. These people are putting two fingers up to the police and saying ''we can do what we want'', which it seems they can.' Spotters employed by the scammers wait by the side of the bridge and send a text if they see inspectors approaching. To get around this problem, two Met Police officers recently went undercover dressed as Batman and Robin before grabbing two men they caught scamming tourists. Following the operation, Costica Barbu was remanded by police and fined £925. Eugen Stoica fled the country and was convicted at Croydon Magistrates Court in his absence. Ms Hall described the operation as 'fantastic' but questioned why they could not happen more regularly. London has a well documented problem with street thefts, with numerous incidents reported on Westminster Bridge. Ned Donovan, who volunteers as a special constable, intervened to try and stop a pick pocketer last August, only to be attacked by other members of his gang. 'Walking across Westminster Bridge, I saw a man in the act of pickpocketing a female tourist,' he previously said. 'I grabbed him and stopped him before he could disappear. 'Unfortunately, several of his accomplices appeared and began to punch me, kick me and choke me to get me to release their friend, which I wasn't going to let happen.' The Met Police appealed for witnesses at the time. Illegal street traders are another major issue on Westminster Bridge, alongside ice cream vans who block traffic to serve customers - despite the road being a red route. Westminster Council recently handed out £20,000 in fines to illegal traders and pedicabs following a much needed crackdown. The street traders had been selling peanuts, balloons and hot dogs on the bridge without having a licence or paying any tax on their earnings. One of the vendors was convicted for the second time in two months for previously selling hotdogs. Nine pedicabs operators - several of them repeat offenders - were handed fines totalling £9,075 following concerns rogue operators are ripping off tourists and operating unsafe vehicles. Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Public Protection Cllr Aicha Less said: 'This is Westminster, not the Wild West. These fines send a clear message: if you break the rules in our city you will end up out of pocket and out of excuses.' 'Whilst we work with TfL to finalise a structured the licencing scheme is being finalised, our City Inspectors continue to prosecute pedicab drivers and partner with our neighbours in Lambeth and in the Metropolitan Police to ensure unsuspecting tourists are not ripped off.' Westminster Council recently fined illegal traders flogging goods such as peanuts, balloons and hot dogs A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'Our officers conduct regular patrols on Westminster Bridge as part of our work to tackle criminal behaviour and protect Londoners and tourists. 'This is seeing results, with two repeat offenders convicted in April for illegal gambling. 'We are going further this summer, with an enhanced police and local authority presence in London's town centres and high streets to tackle anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime.'
