Norway v Italy: follow it live.
That’s all from me today! Sarah Rendell will be with you at 6:30pm BST for coverage of Norway v Italy. While you wait, be sure to check out our team guides.
Lucy Bronze discussed her ‘why’ during today’s press conference. She said: “I’m someone who is based on hard work and enjoying it. My why was that I just loved working hard and that I just loved the game, it’s as simple as that. I started playing football because I love it, that’s literally it. When I loved it I wanted to work hard. I had a picture of myself up from, it was actually against Sweden in 2019, being absolutely exhausted at the end of that game because I will give anything and I will give everything when I play in an England shirt and I want the girls to know that. That’s my why, is to give everything for this team because I just love playing for England so much.”
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Sarina Wiegman has confirmed that all England players are available for tomorrow’s match. Jess Park was absent from training this morning but she will be part of the squad.
Sarina Wiegman also gave her take on the term ‘Proper England’ and said: “It’s who we are and what we want to show, and, of course, it’s got to do with our tactics and how we want to play. But also our behaviours, how we want to support each other together, work really hard and play to our strengths too. When we do that the chance of winning is the highest.”
Lucy Bronze adds: “For me, it’s probably the most exciting quarter-final because the two teams are teams full of confidence, quality… I’m not sure about the rankings but we’re probably two of the highest-ranked teams facing off against each other. We knew coming into this quarter-final it was going to be against a tough team. We watched Sweden and Germany play each other, we then knew we had to win our game. These are exciting times, being in a tournament, playing against top teams. All the girls are really up for the game tomorrow and really excited for what tomorrow is going to bring.”
Lucy Bronze has just given a fantastic explanation about what the term ‘Proper England’ – which has been widely used among the squad – really means:
We’ve never negated the tactics or anything else that comes with the game with the term ‘Proper England’ - I think it’s more the fact that we’re a new England and a new team. What was meant by that is that we’ve got a lot of younger players and new players who have very different experiences of playing for England compared to the likes of myself, where England had to dig deep all the time. 2015 was the first year we beat Germany which is insane to think of right now, but England in the past, you had to dig out performances, you were the underdogs, you weren’t the favourites. Whereas this England team has developed, football has changed. Obviously we’re a very talented team, a lot of technical ability, tactics, all that comes in the game, but we don’t want to ever forget, we are England, we are proper England and if push comes to shove we can win a game in any means possible.”
England defender Lucy Bronze says: “Coming off the back of the France game and having a lot of talking points actually brought the team closer together. You saw that in the two performances that came from that. We’re not focussed too much on the noises around other teams or ourselves. We’re only focussed on what we do on the training pitch, what we do in games, how we recover, how we perform and how we lift each other up.”
On tomorrow’s match, the England manager Sarina Wiegman said: “I expect a very competitive game where it’s very hard to predict the outcome. Of course, they had a very good group stage with the three wins they had. But I think we are in a very good place too and we’re ready to go so hopefully we can show that tomorrow.”
Thanks Will! Sarina Wiegman and Lucy Bronze are just about to sit down for their press conference. Let’s see what they’ve got to say ahead of tomorrow’s match against Sweden…
Thank you very much for joining me for the past couple of hours. You will all be pleased to know that Emillia is back at it.
Montenegrin club FK Arsenal Tivat have been handed a 10-year ban from Uefa club competitions after an investigation into allegations of match-fixing during their Conference League qualifying tie with Alashkert FC in July 2023, the European governing body said on Wednesday.
The decision was taken by Uefa’s disciplinary body CEDB following a lengthy investigation into the qualifiers, where Arsenal Tivat drew 1-1 on the road before losing to the Armenian side 6-1 at home.
Reuters has reached out to Arsenal Tivat for comment.
Global governing body Fifa will be requested to extend the ban, which runs till the end of the 2034-35 season, to competitions worldwide, Uefa said in a statement.
Arsenal Tivat player Nikola Celebic and official Ranko Krgovic were also given lifetime bans by CEDB, while two other players were given 10-year suspensions. The Montenegrin First League club was also handed a fine of €500,000. Reuters
Peter Gerhardsson will need to plan on how to stop Lauren James tomorrow night but I am sure he will have thought it through.
“I can’t handle her,” Gerhardsson said. “James is a special player and I like that kind of player because she has something special.
“She is doing the things she wants to do on the pitch. As a coach sometimes you want structure but I think James makes her own decisions, every coach likes that kind of player. I hope that we can handle her tomorrow.”
Peter Gartner emails: “Italy should start Elisabetta Oliviero as they did against Spain. After all, despite being a “defender”, she scored their only goal against Spain.”
A bit more from Kosovare Asllani, who has been talking about Sweden’s gameplan for the match on Thursday night against England.
“The physical part has always been a strength in our team and that is something we need to have going into the game,” Asllani said. “The English team has a lot of talent and we respect them a lot but we also have a game-plan that we have been working towards. The most important thing is to be humble and analyse them and hopefully we can get our game-plan through tomorrow.”
Bournemouth have completed the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic on a deal until June 2030.
The 25-year-old has been at Stamford Bridge since joining from Major League Soccer side New England Revolution in 2023 and made 31 first-team appearances for the Blues.
Petrovic enjoyed a successful loan spell at Ligue 1 club Strasbourg last season and has now joined the Cherries for a reported £25million, signing a five-year contract at the Vitality Stadium.
“I’m really happy to be here,” the Serbia international said. “I came to Bournemouth because I want to grow and I want to play at the best level. Together with this club, with these facilities, I think we can achieve it. I want to help the team get the results, improve every day and be a better player.”
Bournemouth had Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea last season. The Spain international has since joined Arsenal on a permanent basis, while Cherries back-up Mark Travers signed for Everton on Tuesday. PA Media
During MBMs, friend of the show Peter Oh has suggested recipes relating to the two countries playing. If you fancy some ideas for Norway v Italy, we have you covered.
Sweden are carrying out their media duties before their quarter final against England.
Skipper Kosovare Asllani says: “England have a way of playing that we’re used to because we’ve played against each other twice in the past few years.
“They have a large number of incredibly skilled players that we need to keep an eye on. We’ve analysed them thoroughly and once the game starts we will be ready.”
Do remember to give your ears what they need in the form of Women’s Football Weekly.
What’s happening in the transfer market? Check out the latest deals.
England have been training today in preparation for their quarter final against Sweden.
Emillia posted earlier about the stadia used during this tournament and it reminded me that I have once watched football in Switzerland. I have spent the last quarter of an hour trying to ascertain which match it was. Fabio Celestini scored four goals in the match for Lausanne in the Cup Winners’ Cup, before going on to enjoy a fine career. I was quite young at the time, so naturally deemed it sensible to send a letter to Manchester City to suggest they sign the midfielder. I did get a reply but they did not sign him.
Here is the game in question. It was gloriously picturesque.
Thank Emillia. What a treat we all have for our optics until 4pm.
Right, time for me to hand this live blog over to Will Unwin for the next few hours.
“There are rare occasions when a moment in a match can remind you that football is both the most meaningless thing in the world and the most meaningful. On Sunday night, in the compact and atmospheric Kybunpark, the proximity of the stands to the pitch giving a feel of the playing surface being held in a tight embrace, two poignant goal celebrations stuck out…”
Discussing the prospect of facing her friend and Arsenal team-mate Stina Blackstenius tomorrow, the England captain Leah Williamson said: “She’s a great player and she has been for many years now. Her experience speaks for itself. We were celebrating her success at Arsenal, but not so much now. We’ll see. Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer and very intelligent with her runs. She’s a hard player to play against in that respect.
“It’s different because playing each other in training comes with restrictions, it’s rare that I get to play against Stina in this setting. I enjoy it, I like Stina. It’s tough to remove all of that to just go at it, you don’t want to focus on it too much, there’s lots of things that come into play when you play against a teammate, but I think I’ve known Stina long enough now that I know who she is and it’s time to focus on us.”
For the architecture enthusiasts out there - or just those with an interest in football stadiums - here is our complete guide to every ground that has been used for Euro 2025 this month:
Euro 2025 knockout schedule:
Quarter-finals - July 16-19
Semi-finals – July 22-23
Final – July 27
When are the Euro 2025 quarter-finals?
Norway v Italy (tonight, 8pm BST kick-off)
Sweden v England (tomorrow, 8pm BST kick-off)
Spain v Switzerland (Friday, 8pm BST kick-off)
France v Germany (Saturday, 8pm BST kick-off)
Some more transfer news for you now as Brentford have raised their asking price for Bryan Mbeumo to around £70million. Manchester United are currently pushing to sign him.
Be sure to click here to recap all of the Euro 2025 results so far, as well as the final group standings.
Let me point you in the direction of this huge guide to all 368 players who have appeared at Euro 2025 this month.
Ahead of this evening’s match against Norway, the Italy head coach Andrea Soncin said: “There’s an incredible adrenaline, we can’t wait. It’s going to be a tough and challenging match against a difficult opponent, but we have the awareness, the strong motivation, and the desire to reach the final four.
“In a competition of this level, in a moment like this, there are no favourites – it will be a very balanced match. Norway, like all the other teams, are dreaming of reaching the semi-finals. We need a lot of focus and concentration, and then the girls must feel free to express their qualities – they have many, and that gives us confidence and awareness that we can go through.”
Today’s match officials:
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart
Assistant referees: Camille Soriano, Susanne Küng
Fourth official: Désirée Grundbacher
VAR: Willy Delajod
Assistant VAR: Fedayi San, Tiago Martins
Ahead of today’s quarter-final against Italy, the Norway head coach Gemma Grainger said: “Italy’s obvious strengths, for me, are the individuals they have; they have some very good individual players. From a defensive perspective, they’re very well-organised, as you would expect from an Italian team, and have a strong back five. From an attacking perspective, they are very forward-thinking and like to get a lot of numbers in the box when they attack.”
If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to the latest episode of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast where Faye Carruthers, Suzy Wrack, Tom Garry and Tanya Oxtoby discuss England’s 6-1 win over Wales.
You can keep up to date with the race for the Euro 2025 Golden Boot here:
England players have been busy in training this morning prior to their Euro 2025 quarter-final meeting with Sweden tomorrow.
Spain top the Euro 2025 power rankings following the group stage…
Discussing Sweden’s threat ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2025 quarter-final, the England forward Chloe Kelly said: “They are a team we definitely respect as England. They are maybe a team that does go under the radar but the consistency they have shown is impressive. They have so much talent. We have done our homework.”
We are lucky enough to have the legendary Chelsea manager, WSL icon and United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes on board as a columnist throughout Euro 2025. Here is what she had to say in her latest column…
Jess Park is absent from England training today due to a migraine. Every other player is present ahead of tomorrow’s quarter-final clash with Sweden.
Some transfer/contract news for you now as Ethan Nwaneri is poised to sign a new deal with Arsenal despite receiving interest from other clubs.
Meanwhile, Brentford are pushing to sign Omari Hutchinson.
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our Moving the Goalposts newsletter for regular updates on women’s football. You’ll receive stories, features and interviews straight to your inbox twice a week. If there’s any time to sign up, it’s now!
“The headline in SonntagsBlick Sport reads: “Lia hier, Lia da, Lia überall.” It is not metaphorical; Switzerland’s Lia Wälti is literally here, there and everywhere. From billboards and tram stops to produce packets and tourism adverts, the Arsenal midfielder is the poster girl of Euro 2025, the captain, the Champions League winner, the fulcrum of a team who captured the heart of the country as they set up a blockbuster quarter-final with the world champions, Spain…”
During her press conference yesterday, Leah Williamson also discussed her friendship with the Sweden striker Stina Blackstenius ahead of the match.
The England captain Leah Williamson has claimed that Sweden “deserve more recognition” ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2025 quarter-final meeting.
She said: “Sweden’s previous results at tournaments are incredible. They are relentless when it comes to tournament football. I do think they deserve a little bit more recognition.”
She added: “When you have a team who work for each other like Sweden, then you don’t need to necessarily have a crazy standout threat because everyone plays their roles. They are hard to prepare for in that sense. The discipline for them all to complete their jobs on the pitch makes them a dangerous side.”
Chloe Kelly has revealed the meaning behind the ‘clicking’ celebration used by Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead during England’s 6-1 win over Wales on Sunday. Both forwards were seen running towards the bench while clicking their fingers after scoring for the Lionesses.
Kelly has opened up about the hidden meaning behind it. She said: “It’s great. We have a little group of us, the finishers, the positive clique [pronounced click by Kelly] we call it. We said if one of us comes on to score then we should do that as our celebration.
“We work really hard on the training pitch, in the gym, making sure we’re prepared when we go on to the pitch and we have a great group of girls so it’s about enjoying the whole experience as a group.”
Aston Villa have announced the signing of Jill Baijings on a permanent transfer. The midfielder spent last season on loan at Villa Park and made 15 appearances in all competitions. She now joins the club permanently from Bayern Munich.
“The perennial underachievement of the Norway women’s national team is one of football’s great mysteries. How can a side packed with some of the world’s finest players continually make early exits at tournaments, fail to look cohesive and even endure a chastening 8-0 defeat against England at Euro 2022? How can great talents such as Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea’s Guro Reiten and the Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg not thrive together in their national-team kit?
“Stop there. Hold that thought. Something is stirring…”
Euro 2025 quarter-finals:
Norway v Italy
Sweden v England
Spain v Switzerland
France v Germany
Preamble
Hello and welcome to another Euro 2025 Matchday live! We’ve reached the quarter-final stage of the tournament (I know, where has the time gone?) and today we see Norway face Italy for a place in the final four.
The winner of the clash will take on either Sweden or England in the semi-finals next week. I’ll be on the countdown to kick-off with you throughout the day, bringing you the latest news from Switzerland.
Join me!
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