As the Lionesses prepare to defend their title as European Champions this summer in Switzerland, the Football Association (FA) reveals how they selected Zurich as a base camp.
Euro 2025 is set to kick off on July 2, with 16 nations ready to battle it out in hopes of achieving European glory. Eight cities scattered across Switzerland will play host to an epic tournament showcasing Europe's best.
To replicate the golden success of 2022, England have put a keen focus on getting things right off the pitch, creating an environment perfectly designed for victory.
With 35 base camp options within the UEFA catalog, England settled on the Dolder Grand Hotel in the outskirts of Zurich. The FA visited 23 hotels, as well as 24 training pitches, in order to ensure that the players are provided with the best facilities in order to defend their European title.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, FA women's technical director Kay Cassington and Lionesses general manager Anja van Ginhoven highlighted the key criteria that went into the selection process for the base camp.
The importance of player privacy was considered to hold substantial weight, but the FA also stressed the need for normality during the tournament. A tram system is located behind the Dolder Grand Hotel, so that players and staff are able to access outdoor spaces, restaurants and coffee shops during their stay.
The Dolder Grand Hotel also provides the camp with a compact feel, with the dining room and other facilities all located within close proximity to each other.
The FA highlighted the importance of having a 'home away from home' feel in the base camp, in order to ensure that the squad and staff are able to perform win comfortable and favourable conditions.
One thing that was considered in great extent, was the training pitch attached to the hotel. The provided training pitch didn't meet the maximum sizes and was completely exposed to onlookers.
The association had to return to the drawing board in order to find a pitch that would provide the squad with the correct training foundations in order to best prepare for matchdays. It was then that they found the Sportanlage Au training ground, located 20 minutes away from the hotel and meeting all of the correct performance requirements.
The training pitch is maximum sized, is private and not overlooked, and has the space to accomodate for a gym and media stand.
At the Sportanlage Au training ground, England will integrate a performance hub into the setting, incorporating access to medical, nutrition, pre/rehab training, and a high performance gym all under one roof.
The official Euro 2025 draw was held in December at the Swiss Tech Convention Centre, where England was placed in Group D alongside France, the Netherlands, and Wales.
The opening two games of the group stages against France and Netherlands will both be held at Letzigrund in Zurich, just a short 15 minute coach ride away from the base camp. England's final group stage match against Wales will take place at St. Gallen's AFG Arena, located an 1 and 30 minutes away via coach.
If the Lionesses are to top the group standings, they will travel to Basel by coach for the quarter-final stages. The drive will be 1 hour and 30 minutes, a journey that is very accessible from the Dolder Grand Hotel. The semi-final for that route will be held back in Zurich.
On the condition that England finish second in the Group D standings, the squad will remain in Zurich for the quarter-final stages. The semi-final stages will be then take place in Geneva, which will require a 2 hour and 50 minute train trip from the base camp. Provided that England are required to make this journey, the FA are hoping to equip the train carriages with relevant rehab and physio equipment in order to ensure maximum comfort for the players.
The final of the 2025 European Championships will take place in Basel, with England hoping to make a return to St. Jakob-Park in order to defend their title.
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