⚽ Euro Qualification Hots Up. England back with a vengeance.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
In this week's round-up...
England get their revenge
Euro 2025 Qualifiers: State of play
ICYMI: Top Headlines From Around The World
Fave Finds: Women’s Amputee World Cup
Kit Drop: Adidas drop the F50 Women’s boot
Jobs: More Women Working in Football
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⚽ EURO 2025 QUALIFIERS
England take a step closer to Euro 2025 qualification
France 1- 2 England
England looked like a different team against France last Tuesday. Sharper. Faster. More creative. They dominated the first half with Hemp clocking up two assists, Stanway with a signature strike from outside the box and Russo with a header. France looked a threat on the counter throughout, Katoto narrowly missing from a Renard set-up.
In the second half France switched things up with an intense press that tested England’s composure under pressure, ultimately winning them a penalty after some poor England decision-making and sloppy passing in the build-up. Russo stood out for her hold-up play and work off the ball. Hampton dealt with the pressure at the back well, her pin-point distribution was calm as ever.
The win keeps England in contention for automatic qualification, Sweden and France are still to play each other which could provide a boost for England if Sweden were to drop points.
🤓 Did you know:
This was the first time England have won in France since 1973
🗓️ England’s next games:
England vs Republic of Ireland, 12 July, 8pm
Sweden vs England, 16 July, 6pm
📺 Watch the highlights:
↳ Israel 0-5 Scotland
↳ Northern Ireland 1-2 Portugal
↳ Ukraine 2-2 Wales
How are things shaping up in the Euro 2025 qualifiers?
First, a quick reminder of how the new qualification system works:
Teams were split into three leagues, A, B and C; determined by their performance in the Nations League.
The top two teams from each group in League A qualify automatically, alongside hosts Switzerland.
The final seven tournament places are decided by two rounds of play-offs between October and December.
The two runners-up in each League A group go into the play-offs and could still qualify.
In League B, first, second and third place go into the play-offs, while in League C, first place and three best runners-up go into the play-offs.
So how are things looking after the first four group games?
Spain and Germany have maximum points in groups, A2 and A4, qualifying automatically with two games to go.
Group A1 is tight, Netherlands are top, but only two points ahead of Italy and Norway, and three points ahead of Finland.
Top of the A3 group table, with nine points, France is in a good position to qualify, with Sweden and England on seven.
In League B, Scotland and Serbia are battling for top spot, both on 10 points. Portugal looks likely to stay top, six points ahead of second spot. And in B4 it remains tight, Croatia and Wales just a point apart.
Finally, in League C, Belarus, Slovenia and Romania are yet to drop points and are set for the play-offs.
In other news…
❌ Katie Maccabe will miss Ireland's Euro 2025 qualifier against England after picking up a yellow card in their game against Sweden.
🚨ICYMI
Top Headlines This Week
🏛️ Manchester City have argued they will be forced to cut their women’s team budget if their court case against the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules fails. The rules, which City says are anti-competitive, ensure deals with companies connected to a football club reflect market value to avoid inflating sponsorships beyond market rates.
🇺🇸 Lily Yohannes scored on her USWNT début in a 3-0 win over South Korea on Tuesday night. Crystal Dunn and Sophia Smith also scored.
The 16-year-old is an exciting talent and could still choose to represent the Netherlands over the USA
She moved to the Netherlands at 10 years old and is eligible to become a Dutch citizen soon
If Yohannes plays more than three games for the USA, including a competitive fixture, she would become cap-tied and be ineligible for another FIFA-affiliated international team.
📝 Portsmouth will transition its women’s team to a full-time model for the first time in its history. They move up to the Barclays Women’s Championship next season and will offer its players professional contracts so they can play at a higher level. The club is investing off the pitch too, bringing in a general manager, a women’s safeguarding and welfare officer, and a sales and marketing exec.
🇰🇷 Korea Republic women’s national team players have raised concerns about their treatment, and working conditions compared to the men’s team with the Korea Pro-football Association (KPFA). Insufficient team budget, training facilities, accommodation and transport have specifically been raised. Players flag poorer performance, recovery, and injury prevention as consequences of the ways the KPFA runs the women’s team.
🇩🇪 Sabrina Wittmann is the first woman to take charge of a team in the top three divisions of German Men’s football. She was offered a permanent contract at German third-tier club Ingolstadt, after taking charge for the final four games of the season, remaining unbeaten in all of them.
🏆 The U20s World Cup draw has been made. Colombia 2024 will be held from 31 August to 22 September, with 24 teams competing. Spain, the current champions, will be in Group C. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, 6 June at 08:00 local time.
Group A: Colombia, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico
Group B: France, Canada, Brazil, Fiji
Group C: Spain, USA, Paraguay, Morocco
Group D: Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, Korea Republic
Group E: Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, Austria
Group F: Korea DPR, Argentina, Costa Rica, Netherlands
👀 FAVE FINDS
Could you help Sacha Bowman get to the first Women’s Amputee World Cup?
After dreaming of playing for England as a child, Bowman thought it was impossible because she was born with Holt Oram syndrome, a rare condition which left her without radius bones in her forearm.
Now her dream has come true, Bowman has been called up and will play for England in the Women’s Amputee World Cup in Colombia this November.
Only some of the costs are covered, if you could help Sacha fund the rest of her trip visit her gofundme.
📺 Watching: Every Aitana Bonmati goal and assist from the Women’s Champion’s League 2023/24
📖 Reading: All Things Being Equal: The Genesis, Costs and Aftermath of the USWNT's Equal Pay Battle. Go behind the scenes of the USWNT’s fight for equal pay with former counsel for Women’s Soccer, Rich Nichols.
🖋️ INSIDE TRACK
Transfer News
← Mariona Caldentey will leave Barcelona. After 10 years at the club, she’s expected to head to Arsenal and fill the gap left by Miedema’s departure.
← Brighton has announced the departures of Lulu Jarvis, Emma Kullberg, Tatiana Pinto and Veatriki Sarri at the end of the month.
← Olivia McLoughlin will leave Aston Villa to join Rangers when her current deal ends.
← Tottenham Hotspurs players Shelina Zadorsky, Ramona Petzelberger, Ellie Brazil, Ria Percival, Asmita Ale, Gracie Pearse and Nikola Karczewska will leave at the end of their contracts
← Natasha Flint leaves Liverpool and will head to Tampa Bay Sun, a newly formed American club competing in the USL Super League. The inaugural season will start in August.
← Nils Nielson, City’s Director of Women’s Football has left the club after 13 months to move back into coaching, which he previously did for over ten years. It’s reported that several of Taylor’s backroom staff including coaches Shaun Goater and Alan Mahon and goalkeeping coach, Chris Williams will also leave the club this summer.
ELSEWHERE…
❓Irene Guerrero is believed to be in advanced talks with Mexican team Tigres after a year at Manchester United. She’s largely been an unused substitute since signing in September 2023, after being sidelined by injury at the start of the season.
❓Van de Donk has suggested she will retire from international football after Euro 2025 saying, “It is in my head to play one more tournament with the Dutch team. I also just want to say goodbye to Oranje in a dignified way. That I can still bring everything physically and that it won't go downhill. Continuing until the 2027 World Cup is still a long way away.”
👟 KIT DROP
Adidas has released their F50 boot in a women’s fit. The F50 W Elite boot features all the functionality of the men’s fit but includes an additional sock liner to give increased stability and arch support.
Tottenham Hotspur x Nike 2024/25 home shirt is another understated classic, with the dark blue sleeve and retro cuff detailing adding a fresh twist to Spurs’ previous all-white design.
The Real Madrid x Adidas 2024 home kit features an RM houndstooth pattern on an all-white, minimalist design.
Jamaica’s 2024 jersey is another Adidas x Wales Bonner triumph. Bold green, black and gold patterns embrace the nation’s culture, and symbols of the national bird and national flower feature in the eye-catching graphics.
🤓 KNOWLEDGE
From the web…
📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS
More Women Working in Football
Premier League Season 2024/25 Internship Programme - Football Operations | Premier League | Apply by 26 June
Permit & Compliance Coordinator | Tottenham Hotspur | Part Time | Apply by 22 June
Manager, Media Rights Licensees Customer Care | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Apply Now
Audit & Advisory Senior Manager | FIFA corporate | Apply now
Commercial Data Scientist | Prospect | Apply by 30 June
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