"The teams have become much closer together": YB coach Imke Wübbenhorst explains why women's football has reached a new level

Imke Wübbenhorst, Switzerland is in the quarter-finals of the European Championship, and anyone who saw the scenes of celebration after the late equaliser against Finland will come to the conclusion: something has developed between this team and the country.

Imke Wübbenhorst: Yes, I've been to several Swiss games in the stadium, and I was very impressed by the support the team receives. You can see how much this affects the players. Everyone is on fire; there's a kind of reciprocity.

How would you describe it?

The players contribute to the atmosphere with the way they play football. Their commitment. Their passion. They engage the crowd. You can tell they have a higher goal: to advance women's football in Switzerland.

Switzerland is now in the quarter-finals of a European Championship for the first time. How do you see this?

Switzerland has already made it through the group stage at the 2023 World Cup. But one could say that the beginning of a new era is on the horizon, with all the young players—Iman Beney, Sydney Schertenleib, Leila Wandeler—who have been nurtured differently from their predecessors at a young age. But one shouldn't ignore the group constellation either.

. . . Switzerland was lucky with Iceland and Finland as opponents.

Yes, that's true, there are stronger groups, such as those with France, England and the Netherlands.

An elimination in this group would have been a disappointment?

I think so. In my assessment of the group stage, it's also important to note that there wasn't a single game in which the Swiss were completely convincing. And I have to say, I had the feeling they were especially good when they showed more confidence and took more risks.

The best half so far was the one at the very beginning of the tournament, the first one against Norway, right?

Yes, although I also had the feeling during that game that the opponent hadn't quite gotten used to Switzerland yet. The Swiss played their system extremely offensively, running high, counter-pressing. That suited this team; they want to run, have the ball, and be brave. They're at their best when they can march forward.

Overall, would you have liked to see more attacking spirit and more active football from the Swiss team?

As a spectator, I like teams like that, and as a coach, I try to encourage them to play that style of football: active, forward-moving, counter-pressing. They implemented that very well against Norway.

Which Swiss player has particularly caught your attention so far?

Of course, Géraldine Reuteler, because she has everything: she can defend, she has this dynamism, she runs deep. No matter where she plays, she contributes. I was also impressed by players who played a subordinate role in preseason, like Nadine Riesen, the left winger. I also like Leila Wandeler with her enthusiasm and pace.

Wandeler is only 19, Beney and Schertenleib are even younger. The future seems bright.

Yes, especially since there are still other talented players, especially those born in 2007. It's incredible what's coming up. And the experience these young players can gain now is invaluable. In my opinion, the 2027 World Cup can be a huge tournament for Switzerland.

Now Spain, the big favorite, awaits in the quarterfinals. You said earlier that you'd like to see the Swiss team play a bit more, but that could end badly against Spain.

It can also end badly if you simply sit back against Spain. I think you have to do both: sometimes sit deep. The Spanish women didn't like that against Belgium. And sometimes press high, because they're not used to being pressed high. If Spain has a weak point, it's their defense.

How would Imke Wübbenhorst approach the task against Spain if she were national coach?

First, stand a little deeper and wait for counterattack opportunities. Later, attack higher and press for five or ten minutes to give the Spanish team a different task.

Captain Lia Wälti said that Switzerland wins one out of every hundred games against Spain.

With the audience behind you, the chance of winning doubles, so we get to two percent.

Spain has scored the most goals so far, but which team has impressed you the most?

Besides Spain, especially the French. What they showed in their 2-1 win against defending champions England was world class.

Big names like Wendie Renard and Eugénie Le Sommer are not among the French women.

Laurent Bonadei, the French national coach, said ahead of the tournament that you can't keep doing the same thing and expect better results. He's made a change, and it's paying off. The French women are performing as a team, and they have an extremely deep squad.

Then you see France even ahead of Spain?

We'll see. France has a very young team, and coach Bonadei has said he's already thinking about the 2027 World Cup.

How do you rate the performances of other favorites like England and Germany?

I'm a bit disappointed with the English team. They were inferior to France for a long time, and they were completely unable to respond. The Germans have been playing rather statically so far, and they're vulnerable. They have individual quality, sure, but as a team, there's still room for improvement. At the same time, you should never underestimate the Germans because of their mentality and discipline.

Many people are watching women's football for the first time. Which player would you recommend to them?

Alexis Putellas, the Spaniard. The French players Sarkina Karchaoui and Sandy Baltimore are great. I also like the English player Lauren James; she's a superb player. She represents a new generation, a new women's football player that we can look forward to in the future.

Trends always emerge at tournaments – what have you observed so far?

The teams have become much closer, and even smaller countries now have a lot of quality and players from abroad, like Finland or Belgium. No match is a foregone conclusion these days.

Does this also have to do with the improved training work?

Yes, you can see that the young players today have good opportunities and are also better trained.

The games so far also show that there is a lot going on in terms of physicality and intensity.

We've truly reached a new level. A lot is still happening with the men, but the women's development is simply more rapid. Many clubs have integrated women's teams; they can now work with completely different methods, especially in the physical area. They have access to data analysis, for example, that they didn't have before. This kind of thing pays off.

At the same time, women's football has a reputation for being more innocent and fairer than men's football. But at this European Championship, there was time-wasting, petty taunts, and boos echoing from the stands. Is something being lost?

When the stakes are higher, more effort is made to win. And the closer things get, the more likely those who are tough and clever win. Time-wasting really gets on my nerves. Players who stay down, too. I don't like the fans' boos.

But these growing pains can hardly be prevented, can they?

Why not? Professionalization doesn't only have positive effects. Football takes on a completely different weight in the players' lives. And with it, every defeat, every loss of the ball. The increased attention also changes something. Women's football has been very grounded until now. We must ensure that it stays that way.

How?

By ensuring that there's more to the players' lives than just football. By ensuring that they're educated and engaged in activities other than just sports. This includes not doing everything for them. So that they have to take care of things themselves sometimes. This increases resilience.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »