When Celia Segura scores her second goal of the final, she runs to the bench to pick up a cuddly toy, which she puts on her head and smiles as the team rejoices around her. It’s for her teammate, Silvia Cristóbal, who got injured in the semi-final of the tournament. To cheer her up Segura promised to celebrate her goal with the octopus, Cristóbal’s favourite animal.
Eight nations arrived in a sunny Malmö and Lund in Sweden to play the U-17 Euros, with three spots at the U-17 World Cup in the Dominican Republic up for grabs. The tournament, featuring a group stage, semi-finals and a final, plays a crucial role in providing international experience. Star players such as Aitana Bonmatí and Leah Williamson honed their skills in this competition, and young talent like Lena Oberdorf and Vicky López, individually recognised with the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award, have gone on to already excel at the senior level.
Germany have long been a powerhouse at the youth level but they failed to qualify for this tournament. Spain’s talent has been brewing in the background for some time, with the emergence of great players starting over a decade ago, however, it’s only more recently that the silverware is beginning to pile up. The collective spirit has been a key to Spain’s success, and Segura’s octopus celebration is indicative of the playful togetherness of the squad. “We’ve spent a lot of time together, we get along very well as a group […] I don’t know how to explain it because I have never experienced this!” says an exasperated Segura, clasping the gold medal around her neck after their 4-0 win against England in the final.
One of the most eye-catching takeaways from the tournament was the technical ability of individual players and the speed and movement of the teams, illustrated by the high-scoring games. This performance not only captivated audiences but also highlighted the importance of coaching input. Spain’s manager, Kenio Gonzalo, lauded his players for their ability to adopt and adapt to the gameplan, and for “playing like Spain” with a lot of ball control. This indeed seems to be a successful recipe, considering that Spain are currently the World Cup holders at U-17, U-20 and senior levels.
The combination of collective power and individual brilliance was best illustrated by their top scorers, Alba Cerrato, who was named player of the tournament, and Segura. The duo scored 12 goals between them over five games. When Segura was asked whether the two compete for the most amount of goals in the national team, she barely had time to dismiss the idea before Cerrato chimed in: “We’re roommates.” The two attackers finished each other’s sentences much like they finish each other’s passes on the pitch, but Spain do not have to only rely on these two for goals, with a wealth of creative attacking players on their hands such as Ainoa Gómez and Lua Calo.
It is reassuring to see how the popularity of women’s football continues to increase. Broadcasters such as BBC Sport and the Swedish state television were showing the games and the Sweden-England game attracted a record-breaking crowd as 2,380 people turned up to watch the game in Lund, an attendance record for a girls’ youth international game in Sweden. For the Swedish team, getting to play on home soil made it extra special. “It’s a dream come true, firstly to play a championship but then also to get to lead your country out here in front of this crowd,” said the Sweden captain, Alice Broman. “It’s incredibly powerful and a great source of pride.”
Despite having contributed to Sweden’s 5-1 loss, England’s hat-trick hero Isabella Fisher was a popular figure and young fans swarmed around the striker asking for a picture. England have experienced a noticeable boost off the back of hosting the Euros in 2022, and Yvonne Ekroth, former head of Sweden’s U-23/elite section, underlined the importance of hosting a championship: “We’ve seen at senior level how it increases interest.”
On a sporting level, things were tougher for Sweden, who lost all three group games. A decade ago, Sweden beat the likes of Spain in the youth set-up, but that reality feels far removed now. Ekroth was also the coach of the Swedish side that beat Spain in the semi-final of the U-17 Euros in 2013. It was a tough game: “I was impressed by the team I remember, it was not the way we were used to playing […] but the collective really bought into it,” Ekroth reflected. “To keep tight, not give up any space.” The game went to penalties where Sweden’s goalkeeper Emma Holmgren saved a penalty, before scoring the winning one herself.
“Not just anyone steps up at that moment to take a penalty, which you have to respect … I remember I screamed to Emma Holmgren: ‘You take the next one,’” Ekroth said. “She just went up and scored. That was awesome.“ Although the final against Poland ended in a defeat, it proved to be a valuable experience for the U-19 Euros in 2015, which Holmgren and her teammates managed to win against none other than Spain in the final.
Sweden have not won a medal at youth level since. Observing Spain’s success, Ekroth noted a background characterised by less gender segregation at an early age and points out that Sweden, known for their solid player development, needs to strike a balance between access and competitiveness. The Swedish Football Federation has analysed the current competition structure for girls and women aged between 13 and 23, and is looking to make changes to the set-up, including potentially allowing girls’ teams to join boys’ leagues. Getting challenged at the senior level is also important. Holmgren pointed out that she, alongside many of her teammates in that Euro-winning squad, was playing regular senior football at an early age. “That’s made me the player that I am,” she said.
There could only be one winner at the end but these players will have left the tournament with a host of experiences and memorable moments. So will the fans, who got to see quality football from exciting talent up close. Spain’s playful attitude poses a serious challenge, and it’s up to everyone else to step up to it.
Players to watch
Alba Cerrato: Scored 17 goals across Spain’s 11-game Euros campaign and her sharpness and composure in front of goal is exceptional, often needing only one touch to put the ball into the net. Plays for Sevilla in the Spanish top division, where she got minutes last season.
Ambre Ouazar: She was the key in the French midfield, with her lightning-quick movement with the ball at her feet and a penchant for intelligent play. Featured once last season for Lyon’s senior team.
Oliwia Zwiazek: Technically skilled and with an eye for goal, Zwiazek was one of the top players for a Poland that impressed with their physicality and never-say-die attitude.
Lola Brown: When the rapid English winger is not scoring goals herself, she’s quick to set her teammates up for one. A product of the Chelsea academy and with a bright future ahead.
Felicia Schröder: Top scorer for Sweden who works just as hard in the defence, at national as well as senior club level for Häcken. After the Euros, she made the move up to Sweden’s U-23 team where she has already been scoring.
Talking points
Big crowd: Union Berlin’s women’s team had 18,045 people turn up to support them at the Alten Försterei in their quest for promotion to 2. Frauen Bundesliga. The champions of Regionalliga Nordost were up against SV Henstedt-Ulzburg, champions of Regionalliga Nord, and won 8-0 in the first leg of the promotion battle.
Final-day battle: Atlético Madrid and Levante UD are battling it out for the last Champions League spot. Atlético are ahead but dropped crucial points at Sevilla, putting the two sides within a point of each other going in to the last round of Liga F on Saturday, when Atléti host Villarreal and Levante play Madrid CFF.
Seger calls time: Caroline Seger declared that she is retiring from football after this season, ending a stellar career spanning 21 years and three countries. The 39-year-old has been a staple for Sweden, winning 240 caps (no European player has more) and she can look back on two Olympic silvers, three World Cup bronzes and three European Championship bronzes.
Pelova’s ACL blow: There was bad news for Arsenal and the Netherlands as it was confirmed that Victoria Pelova has become the latest women’s player to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. The midfielder was hurt on international duty. Arsenal’s Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Vivianne Miedema (who has now left the club) all missed the 2023 Women’s World Cup due to ACL injuries. In April, Fifpro, the Professional Footballers’ Association, Nike and Leeds Beckett University announced a three-year project titled “Project ACL”, which will conduct research into ACL tears.
Quote of the week
It feels like I’m a heart surgeon in the middle of emergency surgery. Not because anything is wrong, but the reality is it’s really, really hard for me to be on the wards or on the clinics and teaching everyone and do surgery at the same time in such a limited amount of time” – Emma Hayes, describing her time in her new position as manager of the USA. Hayes has got two games with her side before having to pick the squad that is going to the Olympics in July.
Recommended viewing
Leah Williamson addressed the Oxford Union in front of an audience of young people. She was reflecting on her football career and answered questions from the audience which included the resource gap and disparity still existing in women’s football and playing for Arsenal at the Emirates.
Still want more?
Khalida Popal, founder of the Afghanistan women’s team, talks to Donald McRae about fleeing her country, the fear of assassination and helping players get out when the Taliban returned. And in this extract from her essential autobiography, Popal explains how she fell in love with football and overcame violence to establish a network of girls’ teams.
Tottenham’s Amy James-Turner explains how the women’s game can spark action on the climate crisis.
Beth Mead has voiced her dismay at the Yorkshire club Thornaby FC’s decision to withdraw support from their six women’s teams. “Disgusted to see this decision, the women’s game is on the up but we still have committees making these horrible decisions,” said the Arsenal and England striker.
Rich Nichols and Sam Yip tell the inside story of the USWNT’s fight for fair pay.
And staying with the US, Tom Dart looks at what we learned from the start of the Emma Hayes era after convincing wins over South Korea.
