Latest news with #GemmaGrainger
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
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June 26, 2025 54 minutes Available for 29 days Katie Smith looks ahead to UEFA Women's EURO 2025, which starts on Wednesday. She's joined by England's all-time record goalscorer Ellen White, former Scotland all-rounder Jen Beattie and The Guardian's Tom Garry. Also hear from former Switzerland goalkeeper Kathrin Lehmann, Nordic football expert Mia Eriksson, Norway boss Gemma Grainger, former Spain midfielder Vicky Losada, French football expert Julien Laurens & Dutch journalist Rivkah op het Veld. 01:45 Hosts Switzerland missing a key player, 08:15 Eight-time winners Germany into a new era? 11:30 What about the Scandinavian teams? 13:25 Norway boss Gemma Grainger INTERVIEW, 17:40 Can Sweden finally go that final step? 21:30 Will world champions Spain break their Euros duck? 30:30 Italy being tipped to go far in group with Portugal & Belgium, 32:45 Is Group D the group of death? 33:50 French squad selection raises questions, 40:10 Netherlands' head coach isn't happy, 46:00 England going in as defending champions, 50:05 Wales going in as tournament debutants. BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries: Sat 2000 England v Germany in UEFA U21 Final, Sun 1700 England v Jamaica in women's friendly, Wed 1700 Iceland v Finland on Sports Extra 2, Wed 2000 Switzerland v Norway on 5 Live, Thu 2000 Spain v Portugal on 5 Live.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group A – Hosts' hopes, Hegerberg and a long-throw weapon
It is a Nordic takeover in this intriguingly open group as Norway, Iceland and Finland join hosts Switzerland. None of these four teams made it past the group stage in the last edition of this competition in England in 2022, with only Norway even managing to win a single game. Switzerland will be hoping that this favourable group and their home advantage give them the opportunity to make it to the knockout stage of a European Championship for the first time. Norway are something of a fallen giant within the women's game, having reached the finals of the first four European Championships and first two World Cups. They won the Euros in 1987 and 1993, and the World Cup in 1995. However, recent tournament performances have been disappointing — their 8-0 drubbing against England at the last Euros was a particular low. Advertisement This is despite a glut of talent that includes Lyon's Ada Hegerberg, Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen and Chelsea's Guro Reiten. All three of those players will be 30 by the time this tournament ends, and there is a sense this generation is running out of time to truly make its mark at international level. Former Wales boss Gemma Grainger took charge of the side in January of last year, but they only won one of six matches in their qualifying group, eventually making the tournament through two-legged wins against Albania and Northern Ireland. If Norway are to top the group, it may well be that they look to some of their younger talent coming through. Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland, both 23, have put together impressive seasons at Manchester United, and may see this as a coming-of-age summer. Switzerland vs Norway Norway and Switzerland will fancy themselves as potential group winners here and finishing top could be particularly important at Euro 2025, as the runner-up in Group A will face the winner of Group B, which holds world champions Spain. The two sides know plenty about each other, having faced off at the 2023 World Cup in a 0-0 draw that helped Switzerland top the group. Norway finished as runners-up but both sides went out in the round of 16. They have also been competing in the same Nations League group, with Norway coming out 2-1 winners in their first match in February and following that up with a 1-0 away win on June 3. Ada Hegerberg (Norway) It has been a tough couple of years for Hegerberg, who has struggled to find regular playing time due to a range of injuries. But the fact that new manager Grainger named her as captain in March, taking over from veteran defender Maren Mjelde, shows how important Hegerberg still is to this side. The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner missed the 2017 Euros and 2019 World Cup in protest at the treatment of the women's side by the Norwegian Football Federation and struggled to make an impact in 2022 and 2023. She has not scored a goal at a major international tournament since the 2015 World Cup. At club level, it seems Lyon manager Joe Montemurro prefers 21-year-old Haiti forward Melchie Dumornay. Although Hegerberg will turn 30 in July, there is a sense that there is surely more to come from her providing she can stay fit. Sydney Schertenleib (Switzerland) The 18-year-old Barcelona midfielder looks set to be the home nation's standout star this summer after a breakout year at domestic and international level. Recruited by the Catalan club via an Instagram message, she made her debut for Switzerland in February last year, barely a month after turning 17. She has been capped 12 times, scoring twice, while she made eight league starts for Barcelona during 2024-25, no mean feat for a teenager competing with some of the best players in the world. Her ability to carry the ball helps her open up space in congested areas of the pitch, and she has a maturity beyond her years when it comes to the technical aspects of the game. Pia Sundhage is the one manager at this European Championship who has actually won it as a player. The Switzerland coach has a lengthy and impressive coaching CV that includes winning two Olympic gold medals with the United States, as well as time managing Sweden and Brazil internationally. All eyes will be on whether her significant pedigree can inspire the home nation. Switzerland have only ever won one game in their two previous appearances at the Euros, but they have twice made the round of 16 at the World Cup, in 2015 and 2023. More pertinently, not since England in 2005 has a host of the competition failed to make it beyond the group stage. Keep an eye out for Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir's long throws. The Iceland forward is known for her ability to hurl the ball into the box, which could prove crucial for her team, particularly with the aerial prowess of West Ham United's Dagny Brynjarsdottir, who is 5ft 11in (180cm). Possibly the longest throw I've ever seen from Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir @footballiceland — Lucas Arnold (@FotboltiLucas) June 16, 2021 Jonsdottir appeared to have fallen out of favour with German club Wolfsburg and, with her contract expiring, it was announced last month she would be joining Angel City in the NWSL on a two-year deal. (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025 team guides: Norway
This article is part of the Guardian's Euro 2025 Experts' Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. Norway arrive in Switzerland hoping to show their true potential and improving on the past two major tournaments, which were huge disappointments and remembered for two things. At Euro 2022 Norway lost 8-0 to England and exited at the group stage while at the World Cup a year later the Barcelona star Caroline Graham Hansen was benched for the second game and came out swinging towards the coaching staff after the final whistle. They made it out of the group but lost meekly to Japan 3-1 in the last 16. It is a new start in many ways for this team: there is a new head coach, the Englishwoman Gemma Grainger, and she has implemented a new formation. More important, perhaps, she began in February 2024 to build a new, more harmonious culture. A year later she gave the captain's armband to Ada Stolsmo Hegerberg, who is extremely motivated to lead Norway to success this summer. 'It's been a long journey with the national team for me,' Hegerberg said when she was appointed the team's new leader, replacing Maren Mjelde. 'Standing here and getting that trust from Gemma is a great feeling.' However, while spirits are high and the group seem to be working better together, they have struggled to find any rhythm on the pitch, especially going forward. In their six Nations League matches this campaign they scored only four goals and won only two of the games. Grainger is unconcerned, though. 'It doesn't worry me. It's about winning matches and that's what we've done,' she said after the 1-0 win against Switzerland that ended their campaign. It has been an awkward spring for Grainger with injuries hampering her selections. Most of them seem to have cleared in time for the tournament, though, with only the first-choice centre-backs, Mathilde Harviken and Guro Bergsvand, fitness doubts. Gemma Grainger got off to a flying start with two wins and a combined scoreline of 8-0 against Croatia in the Nations League playoffs last year. The 42-year-old from Middlesbrough is a self-proclaimed football fanatic and most of her waking hours are spent watching or thinking about football. She's already been a football coach for more than two decades; since the age of 19 Grainger has devoted herself to the occupation, with Silva Neid, the former Germany international and national-team head coach, as her idol. 'She is the most successful female coach in history and has truly influenced how I am as a coach today,' she has said. If Caroline Graham Hansen, technically brilliant and an artist on the pitch, can find her best form at the Euros, the vice-captain can take Norway a long, long way. At Barcelona she is usually seen on the right wing combining with Aitana Bonmatí, but for Norway she has more of a free role, finding space behind Ada Hegerberg. Last year the 30-year-old finally got the recognition she deserves, finishing second in the Ballon d'Or, being included in the Fifa Best team and winning Norway's Kniksen award. The way she has been playing this year, it wouldn't be a surprise if Signe Gaupset took the Euros by storm. At the age of 20, she has utterly dominated the Norwegian Toppserien. The talented Molde native has a mature style of play and is adept at both defending and attacking, proving her worth every time she has been given the chance by Gemma Grainger. Despite interest from a lot of clubs abroad this winter, Gaupset extended her contract with Brann until the summer of 2027. It will be interesting to see how long they can hold on to her. More than 73,000 women and girls are registered as football players in Norway and it is the most popular sport for women in the country. Media coverage is on the rise and the rights holder TV 2 has full coverage of all 27 rounds of Toppserien this season. The league is still semi-professional with teams such as Vålerenga, Brann, Rosenborg and LSK Kvinner dominating both on and off the pitch. Encouragingly clubs in Norway's second tier are increasing their financial support for their women's team and are on the rise. They will aim to win their group – and should do so. If they avoid Spain in the quarter-finals we could see Norway in a European semi for the first time in 12 years. The Norway team guide was written by Christina Paulos Syversen for TV 2 Norge.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Euro 2025: Norway team guide – can a new head coach help them finally reach their potential?
A team with superstar potential that has never found the chemistry required to live up to it — that is the reputation Norway are attempting to disabuse this summer. Recent tournament history is not kind: they were dumped out of the Euro 2022 group stages after an 8-0 thumping by eventual winners England, then knocked out in the round of 16 in the 2023 World Cup by Japan, the latter overshadowed by off-pitch drama with former manager Hege Riise. Advertisement New head coach Gemma Grainger has imbued calm since taking charge in January 2024, but the 1991 World Cup champions need to prove they belong among the continent's elite. Who is the manager? Grainger was Wales' national team head coach between 2021 and 2024, before replacing Riise just two months before the Euro 2025 qualification campaign. The 42-year-old's coaching journey spans Leeds Women, Middlesbrough and the England youth development system. She was also part of the England senior coaching team for Euro 2017. The Middlesbrough-born coach is a big proponent of team bonding exercises and is known to bring in keynote speakers during camps and gift individual players motivational books. How do they play? Grainger deploys a back four, with variations on a 4-4-2 diamond and traditional 4-3-3. She prefers her sides to control possession and build up patiently from the back, but against more dominant opponents, she has learned when to concede on principles and attempt to turn Norway into a sharper team in transition. But her preference is to play slick, attacking football. Who are their three most influential players? A number of Norway's players have a case to be included here, but the headline acts are Barcelona forward Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea midfielder Guro Reiten and midfielder Ingrid Engen, who recently signed with OL Lyonnes from Barcelona. Advertisement Graham Hansen thrived in Spain during the 2024-25 season, notching 21 goal involvements (11 goals, 10 assists) across 22 league appearances. Few players can match Reiten's creativity, but she endured a stop-start season for Chelsea due to injury. Even so, she featured in 24 matches across the Women's Super League (WSL) and Champions League, scoring 10 goals and helping the club to a historic domestic treble. Engen has long been one of Norway's most important players, but her efforts with Barcelona in defence and midfield mean her vision, versatility and ability to break up play and transition into attacks are now appreciated on a global level. Other influential players include Atletico Madrid's Vilde Boe Risa and Manchester United duo Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland, who both enjoyed a positive 2024-25. Bizet contributed two goals and six assists, and Terland 10 goals and five assists as United finished third in the WSL. What is their biggest strength? Norway's attacking strength is significant. As mentioned above, Graham Hansen and Reiten are amongst the world's best, the former making a strong case each year to be considered the world's best player. Veteran striker Ada Hegerberg is still a force to be reckoned with, while Manchester United duo Bizet and Terland represent the next generation. That is all without mentioning Boe Risa or Arsenal's Frida Maanum. The latter scored 13 goals and provided four more across 41 appearances in all competitions this season. What weakness might other teams be able to exploit? Chemistry has been the missing ingredient for so long and it still feels that this will be the key issue heading into the Euros. Despite a plethora of quality players, Norway still struggle to sew their strengths together, mostly due to the fact Grainger has not been able to field a consistent starting XI for almost the entire time she has been in charge. Without any friendlies in the calendar, Grainger has also had to prioritise results over experimentation. Any notable absences? Reiten's return to full fitness before the end of the domestic season is a huge plus for Norway. At the moment, the squad look to be heading into the Euros at full strength, which is something Grainger has not had the pleasure of saying for some time. What is their strongest starting XI? How have they performed over the past 12 months? Since Grainger took over in January 2024, Norway have lost just two of their 15 matches. However, they have drawn five and against higher-ranked opponents, such as France and the Netherlands, they have yet to find victory across six matches, while also drawing with Italy and Finland. They finished second in their Nations League group but were 10 points behind leaders France, a sign of the gap still needing to be bridged. What are they expected to achieve at these Euros? Norway were drawn into a favourable group alongside hosts Switzerland, Iceland and Finland. The expectation is that they should top the group comfortably and advance to the knockout stages. From there, question marks emerge. Advertisement While Norway have looked more cohesive since Grainger's arrival, they still do not seem to be operating at full throttle and results have not yet been as convincing as they should have been. They drew twice with Iceland in their Nations League group, albeit they got the better of Switzerland twice. There is clearly scope for a surprise or two. Did you know? Grainger is a big fan of darts. In fact, the Middlesbrough-born coach loves any pub sport. Her favourite darts player at the moment is 18-year-old prodigy Luke Littler. Norway have twice won the Euros, doing so in 1987 and 1993. They also won the Women's World Cup in 1995 and the Olympics in 2000. However, it is now a quarter of a century since the team lifted silverware on the international stage. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. UK Women's Football, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Euro 2025: Norway team guide – can a new head coach help them finally reach their potential?
A team with superstar potential that has never found the chemistry required to live up to it — that is the reputation Norway are attempting to disabuse this summer. Recent tournament history is not kind: they were dumped out of the Euro 2022 group stages after an 8-0 thumping by eventual winners England, then knocked out in the round of 16 in the 2023 World Cup by Japan, the latter overshadowed by off-pitch drama with former manager Hege Riise. New head coach Gemma Grainger has imbued calm since taking charge in January 2024, but the 1991 World Cup champions need to prove they belong among the continent's elite. Grainger was Wales' national team head coach between 2021 and 2024, before replacing Riise just two months before the Euro 2025 qualification campaign. The 42-year-old's coaching journey spans Leeds Women, Middlesbrough and the England youth development system. She was also part of the England senior coaching team for Euro 2017. The Middlesbrough-born coach is a big proponent of team bonding exercises and is known to bring in keynote speakers during camps and gift individual players motivational books. Grainger deploys a back four, with variations on a 4-4-2 diamond and traditional 4-3-3. She prefers her sides to control possession and build up patiently from the back, but against more dominant opponents, she has learned when to concede on principles and attempt to turn Norway into a sharper team in transition. But her preference is to play slick, attacking football. A number of Norway's players have a case to be included here, but the headline acts are Barcelona forward Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea midfielder Guro Reiten and midfielder Ingrid Engen, who recently signed with OL Lyonnes from Barcelona. Graham Hansen thrived in Spain during the 2024-25 season, notching 21 goal involvements (11 goals, 10 assists) across 22 league appearances. Few players can match Reiten's creativity, but she endured a stop-start season for Chelsea due to injury. Even so, she featured in 24 matches across the Women's Super League (WSL) and Champions League, scoring 10 goals and helping the club to a historic domestic treble. Advertisement Engen has long been one of Norway's most important players, but her efforts with Barcelona in defence and midfield mean her vision, versatility and ability to break up play and transition into attacks are now appreciated on a global level. Other influential players include Atletico Madrid's Vilde Boe Risa and Manchester United duo Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland, who both enjoyed a positive 2024-25. Bizet contributed two goals and six assists, and Terland 10 goals and five assists as United finished third in the WSL. Norway's attacking strength is significant. As mentioned above, Graham Hansen and Reiten are amongst the world's best, the former making a strong case each year to be considered the world's best player. Veteran striker Ada Hegerberg is still a force to be reckoned with, while Manchester United duo Bizet and Terland represent the next generation. That is all without mentioning Boe Risa or Arsenal's Frida Maanum. The latter scored 13 goals and provided four more across 41 appearances in all competitions this season. Chemistry has been the missing ingredient for so long and it still feels that this will be the key issue heading into the Euros. Despite a plethora of quality players, Norway still struggle to sew their strengths together, mostly due to the fact Grainger has not been able to field a consistent starting XI for almost the entire time she has been in charge. Without any friendlies in the calendar, Grainger has also had to prioritise results over experimentation. Reiten's return to full fitness before the end of the domestic season is a huge plus for Norway. At the moment, the squad look to be heading into the Euros at full strength, which is something Grainger has not had the pleasure of saying for some time. Since Grainger took over in January 2024, Norway have lost just two of their 15 matches. However, they have drawn five and against higher-ranked opponents, such as France and the Netherlands, they have yet to find victory across six matches, while also drawing with Italy and Finland. They finished second in their Nations League group but were 10 points behind leaders France, a sign of the gap still needing to be bridged. Norway were drawn into a favourable group alongside hosts Switzerland, Iceland and Finland. The expectation is that they should top the group comfortably and advance to the knockout stages. From there, question marks emerge. While Norway have looked more cohesive since Grainger's arrival, they still do not seem to be operating at full throttle and results have not yet been as convincing as they should have been. They drew twice with Iceland in their Nations League group, albeit they got the better of Switzerland twice. There is clearly scope for a surprise or two. Grainger is a big fan of darts. In fact, the Middlesbrough-born coach loves any pub sport. Her favourite darts player at the moment is 18-year-old prodigy Luke Littler. Norway have twice won the Euros, doing so in 1987 and 1993. They also won the Women's World Cup in 1995 and the Olympics in 2000. However, it is now a quarter of a century since the team lifted silverware on the international stage.
