England do not have a ´crisis´ ahead of Euro 2025, says Wiegman

Sarina Wiegman insisted England do not have a “crisis” before Euro 2025, despite losing three high-profile figures prior to the tournament.

Wiegman has named her 23-player squad for Euro 2025, which begins on July 2 in Switzerland, with England’s title defence beginning against on July 5.

Mary Earps announced her shock retirement from international duty last month, with Fran Kirby following in her footsteps after England’s defeat to Spain on Tuesday.

Millie Bright also withdrew herself from contention earlier this week, having struggled with a knee issue.

The defender is sitting out the tournament to focus on her physical and mental health after missing the Nations League fixtures due to “burnout”.

The trio had a combined 217 appearances for England, with all three playing key roles in their Euro 2022 success, which has led to a potentially unsettling period for the Lionesses.

However, Wiegman brushed off any concerns that off-the-field issues would affect her squad.

“Yeah, of course, [it] has been hard,” said Wiegman. “I think there are three different stories, and every story is one on its own.

“[These are] players who have been with us for a long time, who I have been working with for a long time, and so that’s hard.

“You [the media] see part of it, you are not in our environment all the time, and I can ensure that the training sessions were really good last week [for the Nations League].

“I didn’t see anything [to suggest] that there were no connections within the team. I am really happy [with] where we are right now.”

It’s time.

This is your #Lionesses squad for #WEURO2025! pic.twitter.com/WN28tHLago

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 5, 2025

Kirby’s retirement followed Wiegman’s decision not to include her in the Euro 2025 squad, while Earps was unhappy at falling down the pecking order to number two behind Hannah Hampton.

After a series of difficult conversations, Wiegman is ready to move forward as she begins preparations for next month’s tournament.

“Yes, those hard conversations are not nice. I know what players do and how hard they work to make the squad. It’s hard to give disappointing messages,” she added.

“At the same time, I also had very nice messages to give, so that gives me more energy.

“After I have conversations with players, I always think, ‘okay, what went well?’ For me, it is really important that I am honest, that I treat people in the right way.

“Sometimes, you have very good news and, sometimes, you don’t have good news – and I don’t beat around the bush with that.

“I just give that message, then I can’t always control how people respond to that. I just hope that they have the clarity to move on.”

players
#WEURO2025 squad

This is where the @Lionesses were #MadeForThisGame pic.twitter.com/GyRdgg2MBr

— England Football (@EnglandFootball) June 5, 2025

On Bright, who Wiegman conceded would have been selected if she were fully fit and available, she added: “In the last couple of days, I found out. It was sad and disappointing.

“It’s not nice when you don’t feel well physically and mentally, and I just hope she feels better soon.

“England’s profile is growing. That’s life-changing and very exciting, but at the same time, players are not robots. They have to deal with these things too.

“That’s also why we’re trying to them as well as possible on and off the pitch. Hopefully, many players stay fit and healthy.”

England will also face the Netherlands and Wales in Group D in Switzerland, with their group appearing to be the most competitive at the tournament.