Sarina Wiegman's wholesome reaction to Lioness parade guest sends fans wild
Lioness fans were quick to praise Sarina Wiegman's 'wholesome' reaction to parade's surprise musical guest during the procession following the historic win.
England fans erupted with joy across the country as the team defended their title in a penalty shootout win in the final in Basel, Switzerland, on Sunday and as celebrations really got underway on Tuesday across the capital, the lauded manager made it up on stage with her team. In the special broadcast, which was hosted by Alex Scott, singer Burna Boy made a surprise appearance and was welcomed onto stage by the TV host after being revealed to be Sarina's favourite artist.
Alex had been chatting to Sarina when she reminded her that last time they spoke following the Euros win in 2022, she had refused to dance because it was the wrong music. This time, however, organisers had managed to Burna Boy to come to the event and give a rendition of his song For My Hand, which originally featured Ed Sheeran.
This time, however, he was joined by none other than Sarina herself and sports fans flooded social media with their reaction to the moment, even though the whole collaboration was not something they saw on the cards. One wrote: "@burnaboyand Sarina Wiegman dancing at the #Lionesses homecoming was not something I had expected to see today So wholesome!! Oluwa Burna," and another said: "Sarina Wiegman dancing up there on that stage is just brilliant."
One praised Sarina for knowing all the words to the 2022 hit single, and another proclaimed: "This is what you call a manager who can have fun, let her hair down and party like her team! Sarina is the one!" whilst a fifth fanatic joked that the Dutch native is 'never leaving' the UK.
The crowds cheered as Sarina partied along on stage, and she also explained how she had managed to 'stay calm' on the journey to the victory as she joked: "It was chaos. I had hoped for a little less chaos. But they didn't keep their to promise to finish things quicker! But yeah, as we always have a plan, and we try to execute that, and the players on the pitch, we just kept having hope all the time and belief. And they just showed up when it was really necessary and urgent."
"I think you start with talent, there's a huge talent pool within this team, also, what we want to do is play to our strengths but I think that the bonding in this team this time...in 2022, we had great bonding but it's made the absolute difference now, that everyone was ready to step up and support each other and it was just amazing to be a part of."
Just two days ago, Chloe Kelly scored the winning spot-kick following two huge saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, sending supporters into raptures. The King said the team had the royal family 's 'warmest appreciation and admiration' following their victory, adding: 'The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can.'
A n open-top bus procession took place along The Mall, culminating with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace starting at approximately 12:30pm. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hailed the team's triumph, saying: 'The Lionesses have once again captured the hearts of the nation. Their victory is not only a remarkable sporting achievement, but an inspiration for young people across the country.
'It stands as a testament to the determination, resilience and unity that define this outstanding team.' Despite the historic achievement, it is understood Downing Street has no plans for a bank holiday to mark the Lionesses' triumph.
Supporters stood on tables, waved flags, threw drinks in the air and excitedly hugged each other as England claimed victory, while the Prince of Wales and Sir Keir watched on from the stands in Basel. Alessia Russo gave the Lionesses hope of retaining their Euros title with her second-half equaliser after Mariona Caldentey netted the opener for Spain in the 25th minute.
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