Euro 2025: Spain, a queen of women’s football, defies Switzerland

In the world of female football, the Swiss team and that of Spain have one thing in common: their first World Cup. It was in 2015. The comparison stops there.

10 years later, Spain has become the best selection of the planet or almost (the United States still occupies the first place in the FIFA ranking) and Switzerland says it has achieved a feat by reaching the quarter-finals of the Euro. It is on this scene that the two nations will compete this Friday (9 p.m.), in Bern.

But how did Roja so quickly reach the heights?

She can hardly plead stability: she used internal scandals. In 2015, after the World Cup they had left with a small point, the Spanish players had asked and obtained the head of their coach Ignacio Quereda (to whom they notably criticized certain macho attitudes).

Rebelote in 2022, after the euro which they had reached the quarters: it was the approach of Jorge Vilda who had notably been targeted. The latter had been kept in office, until it became world champion in 2023, but with passing players who had no longer put their feet in selections. And then, we necessarily remember the case of the forced kiss of the president of the Luis Rubiales federation in Jenni Hermoso, when the trophy is handed over after the World Cup final.

This means that there is something stronger that crosses Spanish football. Very schematically, we could summarize it in a word: “Barça”. And develop it by emphasizing the cult of the identity of play shared between the Catalan club and the national team.

The Blaugrana training became professional with girls in 2015. She structured her academy, her reflections. By reproducing those that work so well in boys. In short, with a game based on the technique and conservation of the ball, with the promotion of young raw players, Barcelona has established itself as the best team in Europe. She participated in each of the last five final of the Champion League (three victories, two defeats).

Enough to form a framework which undoubtedly benefits the Spanish team. The current coach, Montse Tomé, rests a lot on it: out of the 23 players who make up the selection present in Switzerland, 10 evolve at Barça. Not to mention the ones that have passed there. But above all, like Alexia Potellas (Ballon d’Or 2021 and 2022) or Aitana Bonmati (honored in 2023 and 2024), a large majority of them appear in the typical team.

Thus, out of the first three matches played by Spain in this euro, Tomé set up at least five field players who are currently playing in Barcelona each time. To develop automatisms, it is necessarily better.

In other words, on Friday, Switzerland will not only play against Spain. But against an extremely established idea.