England select Zurich UEFA Women's EURO 2025 basecamp

England will be based in Zurich throughout their UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 campaign as plans for their tournament basecamp and training centre have now been finalised.

The Lionesses’ performance-focused ‘home away from home’ will be the scenic 5-star Dolder Grand Hotel in the outskirts of Zurich. Located in close proximity to the city centre, the first-class facilities, including a spa and fully equipped gym, will provide England’s squad with the optimum environment to prepare and relax throughout the tournament.

England’s training base will be Sportanlage Au, a first-class sports complex in the nearby municipality of Opfikon. The facility, owned by the local authority and the home of FC Glattbrugg, will provide the squad with a full-size training pitch, high performance gym and the necessary recovery facilities. Members of the St. George’s Park grounds team will work with staff at Sportanlage Au prior and during the tournament to ensure the pitch is delivered to the highest standard.

The selection follows an extensive year-long search conducted by the FA, which saw staff visit 23 basecamp facilities in readiness for securing qualification.

The basecamp is optimally placed for England’s group stage fixtures, minimising travel and ensuring the maximum time for recovery. Opening Group D fixtures against France on Saturday 5 July and the Netherlands on Wednesday 9 July will both be played at Zurich’s Stadion Letzigrund. England’s final group stage fixture against Wales will be played in neighbouring St. Gallen, less than 90km away.

Sarina Wiegman, England women’s head coach, said: “Finding the right environment for the team to prepare and train but also rest and recover is one of the most importance elements for tournament football. We’ve seen in 2022 and 2023 our ‘home from home’ has been a key part of our success and we’re very confident we have found another basecamp that will meet all our needs. My thanks go to The FA for sharing this as a priority and for their support in securing these two top-class facilities. Although there’s a lot of work to be done and many months to go we can’t wait to get going.”

Kay Cossington, our women's technical director, said: “We place huge importance on the identification of a basecamp as a project and work began immediately after the World Cup in 2023. Over the course of the last year 23 facilities across Switzerland have been meticulously assessed and we’re absolutely delighted to call the Dolder Grand Hotel and Sportanlage Au our home for the tournament. The two venues combined will give us the best environment to maximise our full potential in the summer.

Get these dates in your calendar now! 📆#WEURO2025 pic.twitter.com/iyTS6n1wnQ

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) December 16, 2024

“We’re very grateful to both venues for their close collaboration and in particular our thanks goes to the Opfikon local authority for the opportunity for our ground staff to work so closely with their team at Sportanlage Au to ensure the pitch will be delivered to the highest of standards.”

Markus Granelli, general manager of the Dolder Grand, said: ‘We are honoured to welcome the England team to the Dolder Grand during Europe’s largest female sporting event. The European Championship is an important moment for Switzerland, not only from a sporting perspective but also socially and in terms of tourism. We are thrilled to extend our Swiss hospitality to the team and all visitors. We wholeheartedly wish the Lionesses the best of success and will be cheering them on.” 

England’s immediate focus is on their 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign, which begins on Friday 21 February against Portugal, before they take on Spain on Wednesday 26 February at Wembley Stadium connected by EE. 

Tickets for the meeting between the European and World champions are still available via the following link.