Latest news with #Euro2005
DW
04-07-2025
- Sport
- DW
Euro 2025: Plucky newcomer Wales to battle football's giants – DW – 07/04/2025
Two decades ago, Wales' women's team was prevented from playing by their own bosses because money was needed for the Welsh men's games. Now the women are making their tournament debut. They are debutants, the lowest-ranked side in the competition and face the previous two champions in the group stage. But Wales believe they have a few ways to get an edge namely book clubs, yoga and a "Welsh red vein" that runs through the squad. After a string of near misses in previous qualification campaigns, Wales secured a spot at Euro 2025 with a win over Ireland back in December under Canadian coach Rhian Wilkinson. Like many of her players, Wilkinson has roots in Wales that she says run deep. "I think we're starting to see now, as [women's] football becomes more and more professionalized, that pathway players, players with connections to Wales, are now eligible and we're utilizing that more," she told DW. "What I have to balance as the coach is that we never lose that this is a Welsh team with a Welsh red vein going through it. That is critical. We can never lose that connection, that pride and I think pathway players have to feel it, and have to feel it as strongly as native born Welsh players, which I think they do. We've got a great team." After taking over in early 2024, Wilkinson's side lost only one of their 11 games in her first year despite relatively few big name players. "We don't have the player depth and talent pools that bigger nations have," Wilkinson said of a country with a population of 3 million. "But what we do have is a connection to the team, to that sisterhood, to that family that allows them to play at a standard that I think is consistently surprising people, because they'll give everything for their team and their badge." Wilkinson won 181 caps as a player for Canada and has named an experienced squad led by 38-year-old Jess Fishlock. The Wales midfielder was described as "incredibly important" by her coach. When the former FFC Frankfurt, Lyon and Seattle Reign midfielder made her Wales debut in 2006, things were very different. Just three years earlier, Wales had pulled out of qualifying for Euro 2005 after the Welsh Football Association (FAW) decided trips to to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia and Israel were too expensive and the cash was needed for the men's team. The pace of change has been rapid in the two decades since. But while all of the Welsh squad are professional, the domestic league is not, with not a single squad member drawn from it. Welsh players still have to move abroad, most commonly to neighboring England, to make it as a top level footballer. Bethan Wooley, the FAW's strategic lead for women's and girls' football, thinks Euro 2025 will provide a springboard for further change. "People will be able to see our players on the world stage for the first time. It's about visibility and awareness and ensuring that our young girls have somebody to look up to," she told DW. England saw a rapid rise in participation when they hosted, and won, the 2022 Euros and Wooley says Wales have also seen an uptick. But with that comes a race to be ready for a Euros surge. "It's all around ensuring that there's as many opportunities for women and girls, making sure that the facilities are adequate and are appropriate for female participants, and ensuring that we're getting the investment in to be able to put back into the women and girls game, to allow it to flourish in many different ways. This is a huge opportunity for us. There's going to be eyes on our team. We want to make our team household names." But before legacy can be measured, there's a tournament to be played. Wales begin their Euro 2025 against 2017 champions, the Netherlands, on July 5, followed by matches against France (July 9) and England (July 13). It's a tough ask for a side ranked 30th in the world. But the players are ready for the unique challenges of a tournament environment, according to goalkeeper Olivia Clark. "I think it's just exciting," she told DW. "Luckily we all get along really well, and we're a massive family. But we've got a few things going. We've got a little a book club, we've got a little yoga club, and being in such a beautiful place as well, in Switzerland, I'm sure there'll be many things to do. We're quite chill and we're quite relaxed." Wilkinson will hope her squad stays that way as the spotlight grows more intense. Wales are under little pressure to escape such a tough group but social media scrutiny, and more often abuse, has become a constant issue for sportspeople, particularly women. "I encourage them to turn the comments off, and I encourage them not to to read anything," the coach added. Clark, from the player's perspective, is confident the close-knit nature of the group and individually tailored plans for social media during the tournament, will allow Wales to focus on the football and, in the words of her coach, "catch a few people sleeping."
DW
04-07-2025
- Sport
- DW
Euro 2025: Newcomer Wales unites to find an edge – DW – 07/04/2025
Just 22 years ago, Wales' women's team was prevented from playing by their own bosses. Now they are ready to make their tournament debut. They are debutants, the lowest-ranked side in the competition and face the previous two champions in the group stage. But Wales believe they have a few ways to get an edge namely book clubs, yoga and a "Welsh red vein" that runs through the squad. After a string of near misses in previous qualification campaigns, Wales secured a spot at Euro 2025 with a win over Ireland back in December under Canadian coach Rhian Wilkinson. Like many of her players, Wilkinson has parental roots in Wales that she says run deep. "I think we're starting to see now, as [women's] football becomes more and more professionalized, that pathway players, players with connections to Wales, are now eligible and we're utilizing that more," she told DW. "What I have to balance as the coach is that we never lose that this is a Welsh team with a Welsh red vein going through it. That is critical. We can never lose that connection, that pride and I think pathway players have to feel it, and have to feel it as strongly as native born Welsh players, which I think they do. We've got a great team." After taking over in early 2024, Wilkinson's side lost only one of their 11 games in her first year despite relatively few big name players. "We don't have the player depth and talent pools that bigger nations have," Wilkinson said of a country with a population of three million. "But what we do have is a connection to the team, to that sisterhood, to that family that allows them to play at a standard that I think is consistently surprising people, because they'll give everything for their team and their badge." Wilkinson won 181 caps as a player for Canada and has named an experienced squad led by 38-year-old Jess Fishlock. The Wales midfielder was described as "incredibly important" by her coach. When the former FFC Frankfurt, Lyon and Seattle Reign midfielder made her Wales debut in 2006, things were very different. Just three years earlier, Wales had pulled out of qualifying for Euro 2005 after the Welsh Football Association (FAW) decided trips to to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia and Israel were too expensive and the cash was needed for the men's team. The pace of change has been rapid in the two decades since. But while all of the Welsh squad are professional, the domestic league is not, with not a single squad member drawn from it. Welsh players still have to move abroad, most commonly to neighboring England, to make it as a top level footballer. Bethan Wooley, the FAW's strategic lead for women and girls' football, thinks Euro 2025 will provide a springboard for further change. "People will be able to see our players on the world stage for the first time. It's about visibility and awareness and ensuring that our young girls have somebody to look up to," she told DW. England saw a rapid rise in participation when they hosted, and won, the 2022 Euros and Wooley says Wales have also seen an uptick. But with that comes a race to be ready for a Euros surge. "It's all around ensuring that there's as many opportunities for women and girls, making sure that the facilities are adequate and are appropriate for female participants, and ensuring that we're getting the investment in to be able to put back into the women and girls game, to allow it to flourish in many different ways. This is a huge opportunity for us. There's going to be eyes on our team. We want to make our team household names." But before legacy can be measured, there's a tournament to be played. Wales begin their Euro 2025 against 2017 champions the Netherlands on July 5 followed by matches against France (July 9) and England (July 13). It's a tough ask for a side ranked 30th in the world but the players are ready for the unique challenges of a tournament environment, according to goalkeeper Olivia Clark. "I think it's just exciting," she told DW. "Luckily, we all get along really well, and we're a massive family. But we've got a few things going. We've got a little a book club, we've got a little yoga club, and being in such a beautiful place as well, in Switzerland, I'm sure there'll be many things to do. We're quite chill and we're quite relaxed." Wilkinson will hope her squad stays that way as the spotlight grows more intense. Wales are under little pressure to escape such a tough group but social media scrutiny, and more often abuse, has become a constant issue for sportspeople, particularly women. "I encourage them to turn the comments off, and I encourage them not to to read anything," the coach added. Clark, from the player's perspective, is confident the close-knit nature of the group and individually tailored plans for social media during the tournament, will allow Wales to focus on the football and, in the words of her coach, "catch a few people sleeping."
DW
04-07-2025
- Sport
- DW
Euro 2025: Debutants Wales unite to find an edge – DW – 07/04/2025
Just 22 years ago, Wales women's team were prevented from playing by their own bosses. Now they are ready to make their tournament bow with a heavy emphasis on the Welsh diaspora. They are debutants, the lowest-ranked side in the competition and face the previous two champions in the group stage but Wales believe they have a few ways to get an edge; namely book clubs, yoga and a "Welsh red vein" that runs through the squad. After a string of near misses in previous qualification campaigns, Wales secured a spot at Euro 2025 with a win over Ireland back in December under Canadian coach Rhian Wilkinson. Like many of her players, Wilkinson has parental roots in Wales that she says run deep. "I think we're starting to see now, as [women's] football becomes more and more professionalized, that pathway players, players with connections to Wales, are now eligible and we're utilizing that more," she told DW. "What I have to balance as the coach is that we never lose that this is a Welsh team with a Welsh red vein going through it. That is critical. We can never lose that connection, that pride and I think pathway players have to feel it, and have to feel it as strongly as native born Welsh players, which I think they do. We've got a great team." After taking over in early 2024, Wilkinson's side lost only one of their 11 games in her first year despite relatively few big name players. "We don't have the player depth and talent pools that bigger nations have," Wilkinson said of a country with a population of three million. "But what we do have is a connection to the team, to that sisterhood, to that family that allows them to play at a standard that I think is consistently surprising people, because they'll give everything for their team and their badge." Wilkinson won 181 caps as a player for Canada and has named an experienced squad led by 38-year-old Jess Fishlock. The Wales midfielder was described as "incredibly important" by her coach. When the former FFC Frankfurt, Lyon and Seattle Reign midfielder made her Wales debut in 2006, things were very different. Just three years earlier, Wales had pulled out of qualifying for Euro 2005 after the Welsh Football Association (FAW) decided trips to to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia and Israel were too expensive and the cash was needed for the men's team. The pace of change has been rapid in the two decades since. But while all of the Welsh squad are professional, the domestic league is not, with not a single squad member drawn from it. Welsh players still have to move abroad, most commonly to neighboring England, to make it as a top level footballer. Bethan Wooley, the FAW's strategic lead for women and girls' football, thinks Euro 2025 will provide a springboard for further change. "People will be able to see our players on the world stage for the first time. It's about visibility and awareness and ensuring that our young girls have somebody to look up to," she told DW. England saw a rapid rise in participation when they hosted, and won, the 2022 Euros and Wooley says Wales have also seen an uptick. But with that comes a race to be ready for a Euros surge. "It's all around ensuring that there's as many opportunities for women and girls, making sure that the facilities are adequate and are appropriate for female participants, and ensuring that we're getting the investment in to be able to put back into the women and girls game, to allow it to flourish in many different ways. This is a huge opportunity for us. There's going to be eyes on our team. We want to make our team household names." But before legacy can be measured, there's a tournament to be played. Wales begin their Euro 2025 against 2017 champions the Netherlands on July 5 followed by matches against France (July 9) and England (July 13). It's a tough ask for a side ranked 30th in the world but the players are ready for the unique challenges of a tournament environment, according to goalkeeper Olivia Clark. "I think it's just exciting," she told DW. "Luckily, we all get along really well, and we're a massive family. But we've got a few things going. We've got a little a book club, we've got a little yoga club, and being in such a beautiful place as well, in Switzerland, I'm sure there'll be many things to do. We're quite chill and we're quite relaxed." Wilkinson will hope her squad stays that way as the spotlight grows more intense. Wales are under little pressure to escape such a tough group but social media scrutiny, and more often abuse, has become a constant issue for sportspeople, particularly women. "I encourage them to turn the comments off, and I encourage them not to to read anything," the coach added. Clark, from the player's perspective, is confident the close-knit nature of the group and individually tailored plans for social media during the tournament, will allow Wales to focus on the football and, in the words of her coach, "catch a few people sleeping."
San Francisco Chronicle
28-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Euro 2025: Norway's female soccer leaders blaze a trail for equality and progress
GENEVA (AP) — In the male-dominated world of soccer leadership, many of the trailblazing women have come from Norway. The Norway team at the Women's European Championship is captained by the first Women's Ballon d'Or winner, Ada Hegerberg, and led by a female federation president, Lise Klaveness, who is one of just three such leaders among the 55 UEFA member countries. Klaveness, who played for Norway's team that was runner-up at Euro 2005, sees a decades-long tradition of the federation being progressive, promoting women and speaking out at international meetings. Before her, there was Karen Espelund, the first woman to join UEFA's executive committee, and Ellen Wille, whose speech at a FIFA congress helped create the Women's World Cup. They all worked with Per Omdal, a long-time federation president who in 2022 was awarded one of Norway's highest civic honors to recognize his support for women's soccer. 'We are not perfect at all,' Klaveness told The Associated Press in a recent interview. 'Of course everything can be better, but I feel like I inherited something proud and value-based.' Captain Ada The captain of Norway's team at Euro 2025 in Switzerland — her squad will play in a group with the host, Finland and Iceland — fits perfectly into the national tradition. Hegerberg is a talented pioneer, winner of the first Ballon d'Or for women in 2018, and unafraid to have principles. The Lyon forward won the award in the second season of a five-year, self-imposed absence from the national team to protest a lack of equality for women from the federation. Even the award ceremony gave an unwanted opportunity for Hegerberg to show strong character and earn more admiration. Collecting the trophy on stage in Paris, she quickly shut down a French DJ's provocative comment about the sexualized dance twerking. In 2022, within weeks of Klaveness being elected, Hegerberg ended her exile. 'Ada already now sees she's part of something bigger … the connection in history,' Klaveness told the AP, describing the captain as 'a very beloved player.' World Cup origin story Hegerberg's exile meant missing the 2019 World Cup in France, the eighth edition of a tournament FIFA's all-male leadership finally launched in 1991. Wille's words at FIFA's annual meeting in 1986 were key to that progress. A member of the Norwegian federation's executive committee, her speech urging FIFA to do more for women's tournaments was a rare female contribution to any debate at its congress. Norway lost that first World Cup final to the United States but won the next title in 1995. UEFA pioneer At age 15 in 1976, Espelund was in the first wave of players when the Norwegian federation formally recognized women's soccer. She later played for the national team. In 2002, at a volatile FIFA congress, Espelund was a rare women in a leadership role as the federation's general secretary alongside president Omdal. Espelund took the platform to challenge FIFA's embattled then-president Sepp Blatter about its fragile finances ahead of him winning re-election. In 2011, with FIFA again in turmoil amid another controversial Blatter election and promises of governance reform, Espelund was appointed the first woman on the UEFA executive committee which she served for five years. Klaveness became the fourth in April. Inspiring role model Klaveness, a labor lawyer and judge, made an international impact in her first month as Norwegian federation president. At FIFA's congress in Qatar on the eve of the 2022 World Cup tournament draw Klaveness was alone in drawing attention to the host nation's treatment of migrant workers and criminalization of homosexual acts, and soccer's responsibility to acknowledge the issues. She later pushed the case at the Council of Europe for migrant workers' families to be compensated. Klaveness describes Omdal, a former UEFA vice president, as 'still my mentor' whom she sees each week. 'He really fought for a women's league in Norway and (to) have 50% (representation) on boards.' Now Klaveness is herself a role model for women in European soccer, including Norway's coach at Euro 2025, Gemma Grainger. 'I feel like Lise is a great example for me and for any female, to really stand by what she says,' Grainger told the AP. 'For her to stand up and talk so openly and fight for more than football is a true inspiration.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rhiannon Roberts proud to see Wales ‘bashing down barriers' for future stars
Rhiannon Roberts will be thinking of Wales players past, present and future when the team make their historic appearance at the Women's Euros in Switzerland this summer. The campaign will be their first at a major tournament finals, after they secured qualification in December with a play-off triumph over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. 'For us, for them, for her' is a slogan for the team that was launched by the Football Association of Wales in 2023. And, ahead of International Women's Day, 77-cap defender Roberts told the PA news agency: 'We love it and we just think it's us in a nutshell. 'We want to do the best for us, the best for people who have paved the way before us and broken down barriers, and we want to leave it in a better place for the next generation as well. 'We have to be thankful for what people have done in the past, appreciative of the position we're in now, and keep constantly bashing down those barriers for those to come and take our shirts later on.' Having played their first international in 1973, it was not until 1993 that the Wales women's team were officially recognised by the FAW. A decade later, the governing body withdrew them from Euro 2005 qualifiers with the cost of travel being cited, after they were drawn in a group with Belarus, Estonia, Israel and Kazakhstan. The transformation that followed has seen the team, managed by full-time head coaches since 2010, have some qualification near-misses before the dream was then realised with December's groundbreaking success. That was three years on from the FAW launching its first women's and girls strategy, and just under two after it announced an equal pay agreement with the women's and men's sides. Roberts, who made her Wales debut in 2015, said: 'We've just increased everything off the pitch. We're equal to the men now and in many ways, not just pay: our media team, medical team, coaching staff, everything off the pitch is equal to the men's. 'It's changed a lot – and it's changed on the pitch as well. It's been a roller coaster.' Wales' bid to reach the 2023 World Cup ended in a dramatic play-off against Switzerland, leading the second leg through an early Roberts goal before losing 2-1 after conceding in the final seconds of extra time. See you at the Euros 2025! Pack your bags, we're off to Switzerland 🤩🏴❤️ — Rhiannon Roberts (@RazzaRoberts) December 4, 2024 That 'heartbreaking' match, after which Roberts 'didn't sleep for probably a week', led to a steely focus going into the Euro qualifying campaign, and she admits while it was 'incredible' when history was sealed with the 3-2 aggregate win over the Republic, she 'only ever envisioned us celebrating.' Rhian Wilkinson's side face England, the Netherlands and France in Group D, and Roberts says Wales want to be 'brave', compete and make their families and country proud – adding with a smile that 'for us, for them, for her' is something she will have in mind 'always'. When the 34-year-old was a child, regularly attending Wrexham's men's games, the Wales women's team, she says, 'just wasn't on your radar, wasn't visible.' Former Blackburn, Doncaster Rovers Belles and Liverpool player Roberts married Nathan Rooney, currently head of football at Larne, in 2022, a wedding that included her scoring a goal in her white dress as guests took part in a women v men match, won by the former 5-0. Girls vs Boys ⚽️❤️The 1-2 with @jasminem250, the nutmeg finish followed by the BEST celebrations 🤣👰🏼#onlyatourwedding #razzarooney 💍 — Rhiannon Roberts (@RazzaRoberts) June 4, 2022 Footage went viral, and Roberts recently discovered team-mates at Real Betis, her club since 2023, were familiar with the video without knowing it was her who had starred. 'I said, 'yeah, that's me', and they went 'it was everywhere',' she said. 'I think I'll retweet that in June!'
