‘absolute Madness’: England Fans Reflect On Euros Comeback Win Against Sweden

England supporters successful Zurich were recovering connected Friday from nan play of nan Euro 2025 penalty shootout triumph against Sweden, pinch 1 speaking of “absolute madness successful nan stands” arsenic nan squad came from 2 goals down.

England’s charismatic allocation of 2,099 tickets astatine nan Stadion Letzigrund was sold retired but location were astir different 10,000 England fans successful nan stadium, including Louisa Holden-Morris, from Crewe, who was attending her 13th lucifer astatine this tournament. She told nan Guardian she could scarcely watch nan penalties.

“I’ve mislaid nan charger for my Fitbit but if it had been on, I deliberation my bosom complaint would person been done nan roof,” she said. “I conscionable kept hiding down nan group successful beforehand of maine because I could not look. I was truthful tense because, to conflict backmost for illustration that and past to person mislaid of penalties would person been truthful overmuch much painful, aft they’d done truthful much.

“I didn’t moreover realise we’d won erstwhile it was over, because location had been truthful galore missed penalties, truthful I didn’t realise until each nan players ran complete and jumped connected Hannah [Hampton, nan goalkeeper]. Then everyone was jumping connected apical of each different and it was axenic joy. But I was crying astatine nan aforesaid clip because I was truthful happy. I could not judge that they had done it. I was truthful proud.”

Another instrumentality cheering connected nan Lionesses was Nathalie Durgnat, who was calved and raised successful Switzerland but supports Arsenal and England. Durgnat joined successful pinch England’s instrumentality locomotion to nan stadium, during which nan protagonist favourites specified arsenic Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline were sung done nan streets of Zurich. “It was really something,” she said. “I’ve been to a batch of shot matches successful my life because I’m complete 40, but I person seldom knowledgeable specified drama. There was everything successful that game. At first, everyone was benignant of successful disbelief, because Sweden were really good. Then, erstwhile England tied it to make it 2-2 pinch 2 goals successful 2 minutes, it was absolute madness successful nan stands.

“I person nary words for what happened successful nan punishment shootout. I was truthful tense and truthful nervous, going done nan rollercoaster of emotions. But I’m gladsome I was there. The resilience, nan belief successful themselves and nan measurement they ne'er springiness up, nary matter what, feels very English to me.”

England, nan defending champions, will now meet Italy successful Geneva connected Tuesday for a spot successful nan final. Holden-Morris, who has been pursuing nan Lionesses since nan 2019 World Cup, said: “They’ve showed that champions, moreover erstwhile they don’t person their champion day, tin find a measurement to win. I’m hopeful we tin get to a last and triumph it. If we tin travel backmost from past night’s situation, we tin do anything.”

The late-night play attracted a highest assemblage of 7.4 cardinal viewers connected BBC One, nan highest figures of Euro 2025 truthful far. That represented a 65% assemblage stock and location were besides astir 3m online streams of nan lucifer crossed BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport.

Keir Starmer was among nan TV viewers and, according to a Downing Street spokesperson, nan premier curate was “as rapt pinch nerves arsenic nan remainder of us” during nan shootout. A authorities curate is owed to be Tuesday’s match.