England have announced their base camp and training center for this summer’s UEFA Women’s European Championship in Switzerland.
The Lionesses are the current defending champions following their historic triumph on home soil in 2022. They narrowly defeated Germany in the final showdown at Wembley Stadium to win the country’s first major honor since the 1966 World Cup final.
This time too they will face strong competition from eight-time winners Germany as well as the reigning world champions Spain, France and hosts Switzerland. To retain their European title, they will have to beat some of the best teams in world football.
To achieve this, England will need to get everything right off the pitch, which is why the announcement of their base camp and training facility this week marks an important step in their preparation for the tournament. The selection marks the conclusion of an extensive year-long event run by the FA, which saw staff visit 23 different facilities before qualifying.
Sarina Wiegman’s team will be based in Zurich throughout the season and their second home will be the picturesque 5-star Dolder Grand Hotel on the outskirts of the city. It is located in close proximity to the city center and has a spa and a fully equipped gym, providing the team with the best environment to prepare and relax during the tournament.
England’s training base will be the Au sports facility, a first-class sports facility in the nearby community of Opfikon. The facility belongs to the municipality and is home to FC Glattbrugg.
The Au sports facility provides the team with a fully-fledged training ground, a high-performance sports hall and all the necessary recreational opportunities. The FA has confirmed that members of the St George’s Park grounds team will also work with facility staff before and during the tournament to ensure the pitch meets the highest standards.
Following the announcement, Wiegman said: “Finding the right environment for the team to prepare and train, but also to rest and recover, is one of the most important elements for tournament football.” We have seen that our second home in 2022 and 2023 has been a key part of our success and we are very confident that we have found another base camp that meets all of our needs.
“My thanks go to the FA for communicating this as a priority and for their support in securing these two world-class facilities. Although there is still a lot of work ahead of us and many months ahead, we can’t wait to get started.”