Switzerland is hosting the Women's Euro 2025, which it hopes will be the founding event

Is it in the hope of gaining some traction that the Swiss women's football team has nestled in Thun, Magglingen, and St. Gallen, at the foot of the mountains, in recent weeks? Hosting the Women's Euro 1 – from July 2 to 27 – the Swiss team is highly anticipated, having never made it past the group stage.

Before its opening match against Norway, Wednesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. at St. Jakob Park in Basel, the Nati ended a difficult run of eight consecutive matches without success, winning a friendly against the Czech Republic (4-1). Enough to approach a perilous European Championship with more serenity, for which the Swiss Football Association (ASF) has rigorously prepared. Since obtaining the festivities, in April 2023. The Swiss federation has given itself the mission of "developing its women's football" , a mantra repeated by Dominique Blanc, its president for the past six years.

Almost everything had to be reviewed in the Nati's copy, whose reins were entrusted to Pia Sundhage, a Swedish football pioneer. The former coach of several international giants (the United States from 2008 to 2012, and Brazil from 2019 to 2023) said she was "excited by the project" , as was Dominique Blanc, who saw in her appointment, in January 2024, "a new milestone for Swiss women's football."

The Scandinavian tactician, who won the continental competition in 1984, is expected to help achieve the goal of doubling the number of women in Swiss football by 2027 – both from the current 40,000 registered players and the 134 female referees. "I'm trying to use my experience gained abroad and help quickly create something phenomenal that can represent Switzerland," Pia Sundhage assured upon her arrival. She is trying to instill a strong ambition in her troops, whom she considered "too polite" after their relegation to Group B of the Nations League at the beginning of June. "I want them to take up space and make their voices heard."

A delicate task for the ^23rd- ranked nation in the International Federation (FIFA), which is currently undergoing a development phase. While talented young players are gradually strengthening the Swiss ranks, the majority of the Swiss national team's senior players remain exiled in foreign leagues. Only five of the 23 players selected by Pia Sundhage for the competition played in the Swiss Women's Super League this season, and two of them – Iman Beney (18) and Noemi Ivelj (18) – will play in England and Germany next year.

This wave of premature departures, as is often the case in minor European leagues, is primarily the result of fierce competition and limited resources allocated to clubs, which are still struggling to fully transition to professional football. Thus, the most experienced Swiss players remain clear-eyed about the ASF's promises. Forward Meriame Terchoune (29 years old, 44 caps), who left for Dijon in 2022, told Le Monde that she was "mixed" about the potential impact of the event: "Playing the Euro at home is magnificent," she said beforehand. "But there's also the example of the 2019 World Cup in France, which was great, it was a party, everyone loved it, and then: not much happened. I hope Switzerland doesn't make the same mistake."

While the success of the English model is being eyed by its continental competitors, it's difficult for Switzerland to draw inspiration from it. The Swiss federation can congratulate itself on hosting the most lucrative Women's Euro in history, with UEFA's prize money increased to €41 million, but it must neither rush things nor imagine itself more imposing than it is in Europe. "There's still a big gap between the national teams ," confirms Meriam Terchoune, using the Nations League as a benchmark. "Switzerland is somewhere between League A and B. "

This situation could change soon, if the Swiss national team succeeds in its tournament – ​​qualifying for the knockout stages would already be unprecedented – and if the ASF extends its investment. The recent emergence of several promising players, such as Barcelona's Sydney Schertenleib (18 years old) and Lyon's Leila Wandeler (19 years old) – called up by Pia Sundhage – is a positive sign. As is the fact that more than 80% of tickets for the competition have been sold before kickoff. And for its debut on Wednesday against Norway, featuring former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg, Switzerland will be able to count on a sold-out Parc Saint-Jacques, enough to push its team to new heights.