While the lionesses are preparing to defend their title of European champion this summer in Switzerland, the Football Association (FA) reveals how they selected Zurich as a base camp.
Euro 2025 should start on July 2, with 16 nations ready to compete in the hope of reaching European glory. Eight cities scattered through Switzerland will host an epic tournament with the best in Europe.
To reproduce the gold success of 2022, England emphasized the fact of withdrawing things from the field, creating an environment perfectly designed for victory.
With 35 base camp options in the UEFA catalog, England settled on the Dolder Grand Hotel on the outskirts of Zurich. The FA visited 23 hotels, as well as 24 training courses, to ensure that players receive the best facilities in order to defend their European title.
Speaking before the tournament, the technical director of women of FA Kay Cassington and the director general of Lionesses, Anja Van Ginhoven, underlined the key criteria that were devoted to the selection process of the base camp.
The importance of the confidentiality of players was considered to have a substantial weight, but the FA also underlined the need for normality during the tournament. A tram system is located behind the Dolder Grand Hotel, so that players and staff can access outdoor spaces, restaurants and cafes during their stay.
The Dolder Grand Hotel also offers a compact sensation at the camp, with the dining room and other installations located near the other.
The FA highlighted the importance of having a feeling of “house far from home” in the base camp, in order to ensure that the team and the staff are able to carry out comfortable victory conditions and favorable.
One thing that has been considered to a large extent is the training ground attached to the hotel. The training field provided did not respond to the maximum sizes and was completely exposed to spectators.
The association had to return to the drawing board in order to find land that would provide the squad with correct training foundations in order to best prepare for match days. It was then that they found the training field Sportanlage at, located 20 minutes from the hotel and meeting all the right performance requirements.
The training ground is maximum size, is private and not neglected and has space to accommodate a gymnasium and media stand.
On the training field Sportanlage at, England will integrate a performance center in the frame, incorporating access to medical, nutritional, pre / re -housing and a high performance gym under one roof.
The official draw of Euro 2025 took place in December at the Swiss Tech Convention Center, where England was placed in group D alongside France, the Netherlands and Wales.
The first two games of the group phases against France and the Netherlands will both be held in Letzigrund in Zurich, just 15 minutes from coach of the base camp. The last match in the group phase of England against Wales will take place in Saint-Gallen’s Afg Arena, located 1 and 30 minutes from the coach.
If the lionesses must exceed the group’s classification, they will go to Basel by the coach for the stages in the quarterfinals. The journey will be 1 hour and 30 minutes, a trip very accessible from the Dolder Grand Hotel. The semi-final of this road will be retained in Zurich.
Provided that England has finished second in group D classification, the team will remain in Zurich for the stadiums in the quarter -finals. The semi-final phases will then take place in Geneva, which will require a 2 hour and 50-minute train trip from the base camp. Provided that England is required to make this trip, the FA hopes to equip the relevant rehabilitation and physio equipment train cars to ensure maximum comfort for players.
The final of the 2025 European Championships will take place in Basel, England hoping to return to St. Jakob-Park to defend their title.
