‘we Have A Good Feeling’: Switzerland Confident In Plan To Shock Spain In Euros Quarter-final

The Switzerland coach, Pia Sundhage, has said that she and her players watched clips from erstwhile nan Swiss men’s squad hit Spain successful nan 2010 World Cup for inspiration earlier nan countries meet successful nan Euro 2025 quarter-final successful Berne connected Friday.

Gelson Fernandes scored nan only extremity of the crippled successful Durban 15 years agone to nutrient nan first daze of that tourney and Sundhage believes her squad tin repetition nan upset.

“We watched that crippled together because we wanted to stock that portion of history pinch them,” she said. “Johan [Djourou, who was portion of nan 2010 men’s World Cup squad and is simply a personnel of Sundhage’s coaching team] said very emotionally astir what it was like. Sharing stories brings america together and gives america strength.”

The Switzerland defender Noelle Maritz said that watching nan footage had fixed her goosebumps. Sundhage did not dwell connected nan truth that Spain went connected to triumph nan 2010 World Cup while Switzerland were knocked retired successful nan group stage, focusing connected nan present and now and describing nan crippled arsenic nan biggest of her career.

The 65-year-old, who won Euro 84 arsenic a subordinate pinch Sweden and triumphed astatine 2 Olympics erstwhile successful complaint of nan United States, said: “It is nan biggest crippled ever [for me]. It is against nan world champion, it is astatine location and it is simply a quarter-final. This is the moment.”

The hosts person grown into nan tourney aft an underwhelming opening defeat, against Norway. They past beat Iceland 2-0 earlier a precocious equaliser against Finland from Riola Xhemaili sent nan Stade de Genève crowd into raptures and Switzerland into nan knockout stage.

Switzerland’s players observe aft nan tie pinch Finland that put them successful nan quarter-finals. Photograph: Pedro Porru/SheKicks/SPP/Shutterstock

Spain are clear favourites to scope nan semi-finals, having won their 3 group games, scoring 14 goals successful nan process, but nan ambiance astir nan location squad has been building and nan Swiss judge that support tin transportation them far.

“The support we person had is intolerable do describe,” nan Aston Villa defender Maritz said. “We each thought that location would beryllium a bully ambiance astatine a location tourney … but connected this scale? It gives you a batch of power erstwhile you spot nan fans marching towards nan stadium. You saw it astatine nan Finland crippled – and to beryllium capable to stock that occurrence pinch nan fans was really something.”

Sundhage’s broadside person improved substantially since nan 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Norway, pinch nan midfielder Géraldine Reuteler successful outstanding shape and nan 18-year-old Barcelona guardant Sydney Schertenleib coming successful to springiness nan onslaught a caller dimension.

And now location is existent belief. Sundhage said they “will request a spot of luck” to hit Spain but that they could unit that luck pinch nan measurement they play. Maritz was much bullish, saying they would instrumentality to their gameplan and “walk disconnected arsenic winners”.

“We are very overmuch looking guardant to nan game,” she said. “We cognize that it will beryllium difficult but we besides judge successful our qualities. We person had a batch of meetings, person watched a batch of clips and person a bully gameplan.”

Maritz, who played for Arsenal betwixt 2020 and 2024, besides said of nan fantabulous squad tone that has developed. “You tin spot that successful nan past fewer weeks and nan past fewer games we person grown into a stronger unit. We person a ace squad tone and person been capable to return a batch of affirmative power from nan past 2 games. We person a bully emotion astir this game.”

The Spain defender Irene Paredes said nan world champions would person to beryllium calm successful nan look of nan location support. “We request to beryllium patient,” she said. “They will person nan crowd down them, truthful they will travel retired very strong.

“They’re a squad who cognize precisely what they’re about. They take sides successful awesome numbers and besides get a batch of their players into nan container to attack. They person very nonstop players and their midfielders emotion to support nan ball. Like I said, we’ll person to beryllium very alert.”