'Once in a lifetime' - Sundhage on new Swiss challenge

Sundhage has settled in Bern, one of the eight host cities for Euro 2025, because she wanted "to embrace and breathe the culture"

For the second time in the space of three days, England will take on a team led by a vastly experienced coach with an Olympic gold medal to her name.

This time it is Pia Sundhage, whose previous international management experience has been with the United States, Sweden and Brazil - all sides with enviable pedigree in the women's game.

To see her at the helm of a Switzerland side ranked 25th in the world, who only reached their first major tournament in 2015, is somewhat of a surprise.

And the task facing her was made abundantly clear as she watched them thrashed 6-0 by Germany on Friday in front of a record crowd of 17,306 in Zurich.

Yet the Swede describes her latest assignment, and fourth in international football, as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. The reason? It has given her the chance to lead the hosts of next summer's European Championship.

"That kind of feeling when everybody's coming together, that is unique", she tells BBC Sport. "So it was easy to say 'yes'."

'I'll be old if I step away'

Sundhage has seen and done it all before, both as a player and a coach.

As a prolific striker, she was the top scorer as Sweden won the first women's Euros in 1984, became the first woman to score a goal at Wembley when her country beat England 2-0 in 1989, and retired as her country's leading goalscorer with 71.

As a coach over 30 years, she twice won Olympic gold with the United States as well as being the beaten finalist in the 2011 Women's World Cup, while she led Sweden to the semi-finals at Euro 2013 and their first Olympic medal with silver in 2016.

But at the age of 64, she decided to not only move from Brazil and start learning German, but also take charge of a side who are still relative novices in international tournaments.

"I want to lead by example," she says. "That means I do things that I've never done before.

"I can't take anything for granted. You don't know [what is going to happen] the next day, the next week, and I'm very happy the fact that I'm still coaching because back then [when I first started out], we had few teams, few countries that developed women's football."

A key witness to the way women's football has developed over the last few decades, she says "the speed of play and organisation" has changed so much, as well as the modern tools she has at her disposal now to aid her coaching.

"Everything is developing so fast. So let's say I step away from the game just for two years, if I come back I will be old, so you have to keep up with everything. So it's easy to look forward to the next day."

Switzerland 'need to dream'

Ramona Bachmann (left) and Naomi Luyet (right) both scored as Switzerland beat France in October

Sundhage's decision to take the Switzerland job has seen her settle in Bern, one of eight host cities for Euro 2025, because she wanted "to embrace and breathe the culture".

But having only taken the job in January, she has a long list of priorities, on and off the pitch.

"We have a short amount of time, but we try to get the most out of it every single day," she adds.

"The biggest challenge is, I would say, mindset. In Switzerland we do have a lot of good players. We can compete, I think, at the highest level now.

"And we have proven that [against Australia and France]. At the same time it's not only one game, it has to be consistently… believing that you're a winner. That takes time. You have to push the right buttons and find the right player in the right place."

Switzerland earned a 1-1 draw with Australia in October, followed by a 2-1 win over France, one of the biggest victories in the team's history, before that humbling by Germany on Friday - although injuries were a mitigating factor.

Having previously managed "winners" including the likes of Marta, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, Sundhage accepts she is managing a different calibre of player now.

Rather than just tweaking a system, she says she is on a "journey" with the team, who need "to dream about [doing] something they've never done before".

Wiegman looked up to Sundhage

Sarina Wiegman's England beat Pia Sundhage's Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout at Wembley in April 2023

On Tuesday, the Swiss will test themselves against the reigning European champions and Sundhage will face Sarina Wiegman for the first time since the Lionesses won the first women's Finalissima against her Brazil side.

Wiegman was full of praise for her opposite number before this week's meeting, telling the pre-match media conference: "When I was a young player – she is a little older than I am – she was the best player in Sweden at the time and we were all really looking up to her. That was my first experience with her.

"She has been all over the world to coach. She is so positive and creative and has made a difference in the women's game. I have a lot of respect for her."

After this week's internationals, Switzerland's next big milestone is December's draw for Euro 2025. The buzz around the tournament in the host country is still gentle, although Sundhage says she can "feel it a little bit" and is expecting it to gradually build.

"When [people] recognise me at the train station or wherever, I know that they recognise women's football here in Switzerland. That is important, and I know it will get better and better," says Sundhage.

When it comes to next summer, what would be a successful tournament for Switzerland?

"We are determined that we're going to advance from the group - and then you never know what will happen."