Andy Smith looks ahead to IFCPF EUROs

England cerebral palsy head coach Andy Smith is using the Lionesses’ recent triumph at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 to inspire his players ahead of the IFCPF European Championship which gets underway later this week.

The Para Lions will take on Northern Ireland in their opening game on Friday 15 August (6.30pm BST kick-off), with the tournament taking place at Loughborough University.

And the England CP boss explained how he is drawing on England’s success this summer in Switzerland.

“I think for the players, and for me, they just have to look at what we've just witnessed in the last two or three weeks with the Lionesses,” he said.

“If you need anything at all to see how to win a tournament, to be resilient and play quality football at times and the other things when it's not going as well to grind out results - that whole attitude and resilience.

“I've spoken to the lads already, certainly some of the senior ones about the performance of the Lionesses. It was just incredible how they won that tournament the way they did, and I think that's a great example for us.”

England’s group for the tournament comprises Northern Ireland, Spain and Ukraine, with the game against Ukraine taking place on Sunday 17 August (6.30pm BST kick-off) before facing Spain on Tuesday 19 August (6.30pm BST kick-off) in their final Group A clash.

“It’s a really tough group for us,” he continued. “If you're only just going by form, Ukraine would normally be the strongest team in the tournament as they have been for a number of years. We did draw with them in the World Cup, then lost in penalties so we are absolutely closer to them now.

“I think Spain is a very, very hard game. I think they are a very good side, a very young side as well, so that is going to be a really tough game because that'll be on the back of playing Ukraine as well.”

And the Para Lions – who will be based at St. George’s Park throughout the tournament – will have to be at the top of their game, according to Smith.

“It's not always just playing the best football and just different ways to win tournaments,” he explained. “I think we're probably going to need that. Certainly with teams like Ukraine, Netherlands and Spain in the tournament, we're going to have to.

“We're not always going to dominate games and that's what we're going to have to accept. It's going to be uncomfortable at times for us, but we have to show that same sort of mentality and resilience that Sarina and our team did at the EUROs recently.”

See Andy Smith’s 14-player squad for the tournament, which was named earlier in July.