England's triumph at Euro 2022 was "inspirational" and the tournament showcased the significant improvement of women's football, according to Finland great Laura Kalmari.
Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses ended 56 years of major tournament hurt for England with a 2-1 victory over Germany last month, with Chloe Kelly's close-range finish in extra time proving decisive in front of 87,192 people at Wembley Stadium, setting a new attendance record for any European Championship match (men or women).
England scored 22 goals throughout the tournament – also a record for a men's or women's European Championship – as they sparkled on home soil, while Wiegman became the first coach to lift the trophy with two different sides after triumphing with the Netherlands in 2017.
Speaking exclusively to Stats Perform ahead of Wednesday's Super Cup between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt in Helsinki, Kalmari lauded England's achievements.
"It was a very big tournament, and it has been amazing. England did very well, they had the crown. Very inspirational to the young boys and women," Kalmari said.
"England were very good, and you can see the results they have done in the country. Many club teams are working for the players and that is the result, that you become a top country."
UEFA revealed after the final that a total of 574,875 fans attended matches throughout the tournament, smashing the previous record of 240,055 set at the 2017 finals.
The tournament has been praised as a potential landmark moment for the women's game, an assessment with which Kalmari agrees.
"It was just an amazing tournament," she added. "The level of the games has developed very much. You see all the countries getting better all the time.
"We need to show it to more people and keep going with our hard work.
"Equal game means that everybody has the same opportunity, that we don't think it is a boys' or girls' game. Everyone has to have the same opportunity to be what they want to be."
Having made 130 appearances for Finland between 1996 and 2011, scoring 41 times, Kalmari is among the most decorated players in her country's history, but insists she is not envious of the those playing at a time of increased recognition for the women's game.
"[I'm] not jealous, I am so happy that it is going further. It takes time, but I know that it is very important to win a strong battle and now we are starting to see the results in so many countries," she added.
"So many countries are working so hard for women's football and so many clubs, and you can see the results are there."
West Ham offer reward for information after burglars raided Kurt Zouma’s house
West Ham have offered a £25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of burglars who raided Kurt Zouma’s home on the eve of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
Zouma and his young family were in the house during the break-in, and he missed the following day’s match against Palace, with his club saying at the time that he was absent for “personal reasons”.
West Ham said the burglars took items of “significant value and of huge personal and sentimental importance to the family.”
Hammers joint chairman David Sullivan said: “First and foremost, the thoughts of everyone connected to West Ham United are with Kurt and his family.
“To have someone break into your home is a terrifying experience and I hope this reward will help bring the individuals to justice and prevent others from going through a similar ordeal.”
Last year Zouma was ordered to carry out 180 hours’ community service and banned from keeping cats for five years after kicking and slapping his pet in a disturbing home video posted on Snapchat.
Skelmersdale appeal after boss Pascal Chimbonda lands five-match stadium ban
Skelmersdale United manager Pascal Chimbonda has been given a five-match stadium ban for improper conduct, his club have confirmed.
The 44-year-old former Tottenham, Sunderland, Wigan and Blackburn player, who was also a member of France’s World Cup squad in 2006, took the reins at the North West Counties Premier League side in October.
His club have appealed against the severity of the punishment, which follows an incident which saw him sent off when Skelmersdale faced Barnoldswick Town on October 21.
A thread posted on the club’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) read: “Pascal Chimbonda has been served with a five match stadium ban for Improper Conduct which will take effect immediately. This is in relation to his sending off on the 21st October 2023 during the game against Barnoldswick Town.
“Pascal would like to state that although he pleaded guilty to the offence of leaving his technical area, he did so with the sole intention of preventing his players from getting hurt in a melee which had developed on the field of play.
“The club have appealed against the severity of the punishment as it doesn’t appear to be proportionate with the offence. Particular as his previous disciplinary record is totally unblemished. The club won’t be releasing any further statements until the outcome of the appeal.”
Chimbonda also played for QPR, Carlisle and Doncaster, before playing for non-league Washington (Tyne and Wear) and Ashton Town.
Sarina Wiegman: No chance Scotland will let England win to aid GB Olympic hopes
England boss Sarina Wiegman has stressed there is “no way” Scotland are going to “give away” the game when the sides meet at Hampden Park on Tuesday in their final Nations League group fixture.
The second-placed Lionesses may need a high-scoring win against the already-relegated Scots to claim top spot in the group, the finish required to keep Wiegman’s team in contention to secure Paris 2024 Olympic qualification for Great Britain.
With England success on that front the only way Scottish players will be able to play at the Games, Andries Jonker, head coach of group leaders the Netherlands, described the situation as “strange” after England’s 3-2 win over the Dutch at Wembley on Friday.
Wiegman told a press conference on Monday: “I understand the conversations about it.
“But if you have seen our group, seen Scotland and know the history of Scotland and England, then there’s no way that they are going to give away this game. They really want to beat England and we want to beat them, of course.
“There’s such a rivalry that that is absolutely not going to be the case. We saw it when we played in England (a 2-1 win for England in September).
“I don’t have the solution. This is the first time we’ve played the Nations League, and how are you going to solve this situation? Maybe you don’t want them in the same group, but then if Scotland topped another group, we topped one and we went into the finals, you’d have the same situation.
“It’s just about fair play, about football, and in football everyone wants to win, and we know the rivalry.
“We have professional players here who really want to show up – England players and Scottish players. I think it’s going to be a good game where everyone wants to perform at their highest level.”
England midfielder Keira Walsh said: “Nobody is questioning the professionalism of this game.
“They’ve got some top players, so do we and we both want to win. I don’t think it’s a case of they’ll be thinking about anything else, I think we both want to play a good game and hopefully win.”
While England and the Netherlands, each on nine points from five games, are locked on head to head record, the latter have a goal difference that is superior by three. The Dutch on Tuesday host a Belgium outfit who lie a point behind in third.
Wiegman said of her players: “You don’t want to be erratic. We want to be controlled, but we really want to play our best game and create chances, get a lot of players up front, but do the right things, make the right choices, stay calm at all moments and score as a team, and again then don’t concede any.
“Lets start, play a possession game, try to get in behind the defence, create lots of chances and score.”
England battled back to triumph on Friday after being 2-0 down at half-time, with the second Dutch goal coming when Mary Earps got a glove to Lineth Beerensteyn’s shot but could not stop it crossing the line.
Earps afterwards said she had “really let the team down”, something Wiegman then said was not the case.
Walsh added: “Mary has saved us in so many situations. For me, she’s always been there in the big moments for us, so she really doesn’t need to take that on herself.
“It has to go past 10 other players before it gets to her and I think there were numerous mistakes leading up to that one.
“She’s in good spirits now I think. Even at breakfast this morning she was making jokes about it. Mary’s delivered before so I’m pretty sure she will again.”
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