Just days before kicking off as hosts at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, Switzerland’s senior women’s national team faced a shocking 7–1 loss in a closed-door friendly against FC Luzern’s Under‑15 boys team. Behind-the-scenes footage of the match leaked online, sparking intense debate and drawing attention to the rigorous yet controversial nature of such training preparations.
🗞 The Hard-Hitting Result
On June 24, Switzerland—ranked 23rd in the world—took on the U‑15 boys from Luzern in a structured warm-up designed to boost fitness and tactical sharpness. Played over three 30-minute periods, the match saw the Swiss side rotate 26–28 players and experiment with positions, including having their third-choice goalkeeper play with the boys’ squad for one segment The result was emphatic: a 7‑1 win for the boys.
A few days later, the leaked clip went viral—garnering over 70,000 views—sparking a backlash over its publicisation
🛡 Why This Test Was Chosen
Swiss FA media officer Sven Micosse defended the strategy: “It’s not uncommon in women’s football to play against junior boys’ teams… the focus during this phase is on the physical aspect. Regardless of the result, these training matches are very similar to our international matches in terms of intensity and mileage”
Midfielder Leila Wandeler echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of physical conditioning and game principles:
“The result didn’t matter. For us, it was about testing our game principles… We all want to be in our best shape for this European Championship.”
This approach is not unprecedented: top women’s national teams—including Australia, USA, and Brazil—have previously used youth male squads in training, sometimes suffering similar decisive defeats
🎙 Lip Service or Valuable Prep?
Among players, veteran winger Alisha Lehmann—one of the more prominent squad members—asserted that the team remains mentally resilient. She responded to critics by posting on social media that they are ignoring the noise and focusing on their own preparation
Still, public reaction has been mixed. Some pundits ridiculed the result as a sign of gender-based performance disparity, while others defended the match as a tough but necessary drill in elite preparation.
⏳ countdown to Kick-Off
Switzerland opens its tournament campaign against Norway on July 2 in Basel, with group-stage encounters also involving Finland and Iceland. The team will play one more warm-up match—likely against the Czech Republic—to steady themselves before the biggest test begins
🚀 Looking Ahead
Hosting the Euros on home soil comes with immense pressure and immense opportunity. The 7–1 defeat marks a tough moment, but the national squad—and management—insist it’s just part of a rigorous push toward peak performance.
As Pia Sundhage’s team gears up for their first Group A match next Wednesday, all eyes will be on whether this heavy warm-up setback serves as a wake-up call or a demoralising blow.
In summary, Switzerland’s dramatic 7–1 loss to a youth side has ignited debate around the efficacy and optics of such mismatched training. With the Euros about to start, the key question remains: has the sting of humiliation sharpened the Swiss team… or unbalanced them? Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as the tournament begins.
