FIFA Women WM: Switzerland starts in the tournament with a German swing

Von Sophie Müller

Swiss women's football at the 2023 World Cup: German trainer and influence

with trainer Inka Grings on the sidelines, Switzerland goes to the final round of the 2023 women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. But German influence in Swiss women's football is not only feeling strongly at the national team. In addition to Grings, who was previously successful as a trainer of FC Zurich, another four German women are also head coaches for Swiss first division teams.

Grings is looking forward to her first tournament as a national coach and states that she wants to benefit from her own gaming experiences. In 96 international matches for Germany, she has had both positive and negative experiences with trainers who want to incorporate them into their work.

The Swiss team is currently preparing for the first World Cup group game against the Philippines in New Zealand. Grings is satisfied with the preparation and emphasizes that the focus is now on the games. She hopes for a positive development compared to the European Championship last year, where Switzerland left in the preliminary round.

It is also interesting that Swiss women's football is strongly shaped by German influence. In addition to Grings, other German women work as head coaches for Swiss first division clubs. Anne Pochert, who is currently training the Grasshoppers Zurich, is critical of it and states that she did not feel enough in Germany. In Switzerland, however, women as head coaches of first division teams are much more present.

The Swiss national coach is optimistic before the World Cup and emphasizes the good quality of her team. The only negative message before the tournament began was the serious injury of Iman Beney, which will miss the tournament.

The first game in Switzerland will take place on Friday against the Philippines. Switzerland is in 17th place in the world rankings, while the Philippines are in 46th place. The best placement of Switzerland at a World Cup was the round of 16 in 2015, while the Philippines for the first time take part in a World Cup. An interesting fun fact is that the Swiss women in 2015 made the leap from the group phase with a 10-1 victory against Ecuador, but ultimately left in the round of 16 against hosts.