Switzerland hoping for festival of football as hosts get Euro 2025 party started

Enthusiasm is palpable as fans buy in to a tournament where progress should be made on and off the pitch

In any downtime from ensuring Euro 2025 passes smoothly, Uefa staff can take a short walk to watch Nyon’s summer jazz festival in full flow. Rive Jazzy is in its fourth decade and there should be something for everyone. The Greasers will be on stage to set a tone before England face Wales on 13 July; this Friday anyone with a penchant for swing can turn up at Place du Molard to enjoy harmonies by the Hot Shooters.

The more pressing hope is that there will be plenty of those on Switzerland’s football pitches across the next 25 days. At its elite level, the women’s game has never before been blessed with the depth of quality it can showcase this month. There is justified optimism that no weak link will stick out like a sore thumb among the 16 contenders in this European Championship; at the top end a valid expectation exists that, while Spain are obvious favourites, at least three or four others are highly equipped to test that status vigorously. Continue reading...