Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Switzerland, Womens Football
Ryan Smart
Alisha Lehmann has spoken out after Switzerland lost 7-1 to an under-15 boys team in preparation for Women's Euro 2025.
Switzerland have qualified for the tournament, which kicks off on July 2, as hosts.
They have been drawn in on what, on paper, looks like a fairly favourable group, with fixtures against Iceland and Finland alongside a tough test against Norway.
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In the build-up to the tournament, Pia Sundhage's side have been playing friendly matches against local men's junior teams.
They defeated the under-15 team of Swiss third tier outfit FC Biel, before a narrow 2-1 defeat to FC Solothurn.
They then took on the U15 team of Swiss Super League side FC Luzern, losing 7-1.
Luzern have produced several stars of the Swiss Super League and beyond in the past two decades, including former Switzerland star Haris Seferovic, Club Brugge midfielder Ardon Jashari and Borussia Monchengladbach captain Jonas Omlin.
As a result, they have some of the most elite junior teams in Switzerland.
Swiss outlet Blick noted that the match, that lasted 90 minutes, saw Switzerland's women's team use 28 players in total, with their third-choice goalkeeper playing for the U15 side in one half.
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Four players were absent, including their captain and Arsenal star Lia Walti.
The result, therefore, was clearly far less important than the preparation for the upcoming tournament, with midfielder Leila Wandeler telling Blick: "The result didn't matter. For us, it was about testing our game principles."
And the team's head of communications, Sven Micosse, said: "The focus during this phase of preparation 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."
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That appeared to be echoed by Lehmann, who didn't specifically reference the match but wrote on Instagram: "Work work work."
Lehmann is part of the Switzerland squad for Euro 2025 but is no longer one of their key players, having barely featured for Juventus this season.
She moved to Juve alongside her then partner Douglas Luiz in what was dubbed football's first 'couples transfer', but the majority of her 16 appearances in Serie A were late cameos off the bench.
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The 26-year-old winger initially missed out on selection but was called up due to injury.
Her manager Sundhage told reporters that she had been trialled as a full-back in friendly matches.
Following her Euro 2025 call-up, Lehmann stated: "Couldn't be more happy to represent my country for the Euros.
"I'm so grateful for the opportunity. Let's make Switzerland proud and show how women's football is growing. We are Switzerland."