Euro 2025 is Lucy Bronze’s seventh major tournament for England.
She has played a starring role for the Lionesses in Switzerland with her solid defensive displays, as well as scoring in the 79th minute against Sweden to help force extra-time, before converting a brilliant penalty in the shootout.
“My goodness the things they have put us through this tournament,” Bronze’s brother Jorge told BBC Sport.
“People keep asking me if I am having a great time out here and I say ‘no!’ It’s just trauma after trauma after trauma. It’s been a brilliant time, exhausting, emotional, thrilling and everything in between.”
Among the Bronze family out in Switzerland are Jorge’s two young children.
“I’ve got a five-year-old and a four-year-old that Lucy absolutely adores, she loves playing silly games with them.
“It was 1am [after the Italy game] and they were playing a bit of hide and seek with auntie Lucy in the ground after a pretty intense game of football.”
Jorge said under Wiegman, players’ family and friends now play their part behind the scenes in England’s success.
“We have noticed a real shift,” Jorge said. “Certainly under Sarina, there has been an approach to have the family and friends engaged but know what our role is.
“We took Lucy to a play park and gave her a half-eaten cheese sandwich that my four-year-old didn’t finish. Everyone is having a slightly different experience but every player needs their own downtime in their own way.
“Our job as a family is to just give them that bit of normality. Whether that’s smashing her at table tennis or Mario Kart, to remind her I am still her older brother, or if it’s just chatting things through. Whatever it is, that is what we are here to do for the players.”
Jorge’s message to Lucy: “Lucy, you know what it’s taken to get to this point. You know you are a serial and born winner. You are already the most decorated English footballer of all time. Go and make that a full stop at the end of that sentence on Sunday and bring it home.”
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