This could be the gold medal moment of women’s football. It’s the chance to break into the mainstream, to get crossover interest, to occupy the front page of newspapers, not just the sports section. It’s the time to write a name in history, to become legends. No pressure ladies, but this week is the most important of your lives. Go live.
That defines the debate before us England semi-final in Sheffield Tuesday night their first game in the north of England since the opener against Austria in Manchester.
“We know how transformative it is [winning the Euros] will be,” Football Association Mark Bullingham told Telegraph Sport last week, 24 hours before the organization he leads announced the creation of 60 new Emerging Talent Centers (ETS) across the country, from Newcastle to Cornwall. It paves the way for more girls aged six to 16 to receive specialized coaching if they want to practice the sport. If England win the European Championship, the number of people who want to use these new centers will increase enormously. Success leads to success, but also to an increase in participation at the grassroots level.
There is undoubtedly pressure building for the 23 players, although one of their most experienced, Lucy Bronzeis unfazed by rising arousal levels.
“It would be great to win it, of course that has been the goal,” said the Barcelona star. “But it’s probably the most relaxed we’ve been in a tournament as an England team, especially in my time.
“I think that’s probably the thing that’s so good for us because we know we’re the favourites, and the hosts, and a lot of these things. But as a team and as a collective kind of group, we’re very down to earth. .
“England has always been my main focus… my whole career I’ve wanted to lift a trophy for England. Lifting a European Championship in your own country, only the World Cup is equal to that, so that is our motivation [this week].”