WU19 EURO preview: What the coaches say
Monday, July 18, 2016
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Hosts Slovakia are joined by France, the Netherlands and Norway in Group A, while Group B consists of Spain, Austria, Germany and Switzerland: we hear from the coaches.
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Suspended on matchday one: Ingrid Syrstad Engen (Norway), Marina Georgieva (Austria), Maureen Sanders (Netherlands)
Group A: Slovakia v Netherlands (17:00CEST, Senec), France v Norway (18:00CEST, Zlate Moravce)
Gilles Eyquem, France coach
Our goal is to win the trophy. We have prepared well, are ambitious and ready to perform. We arrived two days ago and the facilities are great. The players aren't nervous. We've had a two-week training camp so they cannot wait to get going. The Netherlands, Germany and Spain are strong teams – I reckon they are our main rivals for the title.
Nils Lexerød, Norway coach
We have worked hard preparing for the tournament; now it's time to rise to the occasion. The mood in the camp is very positive, very relaxed. France, our first opponents, are one of the best teams at this level. Our girls will work hard, but we have some exceptional players in the squad.
Jessica Torny, Netherlands coach
We take on Slovakia, the hosts, in the opening game: it is always special to play against the host country. I hope our girls enjoy the match. We will have support in the stands, too, as Netherlands fans are known for their support at tournaments; they travel around. We have a balanced team, a nice variety of players who can achieve a lot more than they perhaps think.
Branislav Petrovič, Slovakia coach
We are very excited and come kick-off, tension will no longer be an issue. Our players are fit and looking forward to the biggest experience of their careers. It will be a steep learning curve for our girls. I hope they will use the opportunity to show themselves in the best possible light.
Group B: Austria v Switzerland (18:00CEST, Myjava), Spain v Germany (18:00CEST, Senica)
Pedro López, Spain coach
These players have played together for many years, they know each other well. Women's football in Spain is on the rise so it is a positive that we are considered one of the tournament favourites. It is good to kick off against Germany because both teams are on a similar level. I reckon Germany and France are the main competitors for the title.
Maren Meinert, Germany coach
How do I feel? Nervous and excited, a bit of both to be honest. You never know how good your team, or how strong your opponents will be. Germany are always considered favourites, I've been here for ten years and we've always had that tag. It is an honour and a reward for our hard work. We want to enjoy the experience, and eventually leave Slovakia happy with our performances.
Irene Fuhrmann, Austria coach
We kick off against Switzerland, a good start considering it could have been Spain or Germany. That said, all the matches will be extremely difficult. Spain and Germany have some excellent players and have to be taken as favourites. Slovakia is a two-hour drive from Vienna so we hope to have our fans at the stadium. We will give it our all.
Nora Häuptle, Switzerland coach
After lengthy preparations, we can't wait to get started. You don't play in the tournament without a dream of winning it, and we play without limits. Kicking off against Austria is good for us; we are well-matched in terms of quality and we feel confident. We feel like we're at home in Slovakia, the landscape is very similar to Switzerland and the people here are very nice.
