Three days before the opening match of the European Championship against Norway, Alisha Lehmann and Meriame Terchoun face the media at the national team camp in Thun. They talk about the atmosphere in the team, the tough training sessions and the heat.
Alisha Lehmann about ...
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... her role in the team
I like helping the young players. I have a smile on my face all the time and if I see a teammate who doesn't, I make sure she has a smile on her face too.
We have fun together and there's a great atmosphere in the team. Everyone works hard, but we can still have fun together, which is cool.
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... her new position as full-back
I was certainly a bit surprised at first, but I'm taking on this role. At the end of the day, it's all about the team and if we all work together, we can achieve something. I have to defend a bit more in this position, otherwise I'm more of an attacking player. But it's actually cool because you learn new things in a new position. I've also had a lot of fun in this position in training.
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... the heat
I play in Italy and I love playing in the summer. I've been training in this heat for a while now and you get used to it.
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... Hate comments on the net
At the end of the day, I don't have to prove anything to anyone but myself and my family. If I'm honest, I don't really care whether people agree with me or not. If I like what I do, then that's enough for me. I hope that after the European Championships people will see how much effort and work we put into all of this and that they can then show us a little more respect.
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... the many fans
I'm delighted that the little girls and boys are such fans of ours. But you can switch that off on the pitch because you're so focused on the game.
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... the leisure activities at the national team camp
I hang out with everyone. Sometimes I play Brändi Dog, sometimes Ping Pong - or I do Tik-Tok dances. I get on well with everyone and I'm open to doing things with everyone.
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... her speech in the dressing room after the Czech Republic game
We always choose someone to speak before the game. That was me against the Czech Republic. I said what Switzerland is all about and that Switzerland is actually made of stone, so we have to be as tough as stones.
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... the preparation
The preparation was exhausting, but it had to be. The last two weeks have been great. If you want to play with the big teams, you have to train hard. That has made us stronger as a team. We're ready, we had a good game last week and we're really looking forward to getting started.
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... the games as a national player
It means everything to me. Every player dreams of playing for their country. I can't wait to play for Switzerland at the European Championships. Everyone's families will be there, I really can't wait.
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... the attention of women's football
Women's football in England went through the roof after the tournament in England back then (2022, editor's note). We were able to play in bigger stadiums afterwards and more people watched us - even on TV. I hope that happens in Switzerland now too. It's really important that we push this now and make football in Switzerland better.
Meriame Terchoun on...
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... the comparison to men's football and the match against FC Luzern's U-15s
I've had enough of this. You could open a book and bring out all the science. But it's no longer necessary to compare the two. We prepared for this game and the result wasn't important. We're focusing on the upcoming games and what comes next.
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... the injured Lia Wälti
She's an important player for us. She's concentrating on being fit for the first game. I hope she'll be involved then.
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... the injured Ramona Bachmann
She's my best buddy and I miss her. But she's fine. She always wanted to be at the European Championships. She's still looking forward to the tournament, she's also coming to the games. But she doesn't know what feelings it might trigger in her. In general, however, she is doing well and is focusing on her rehab.
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... Her role in the team
The boys called me Mama Terchoun. That was funny. I keep an eye on the others a bit and notice when someone isn't feeling well. I try to lead the way on the pitch, regardless of my role. For me, the team comes first.
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... the goalie question
The coach decides and you have to deal with it. Our goalkeepers are doing a great job and the atmosphere in the team is still very good. But it was a last-minute decision.
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... the hotel in Thun and the weather
We arrived safely. The hotel is beautiful. The heat is not such a big problem for me, I have Algerian roots. I'd rather be hot than minus 10 degrees. Our staff help us with that too. We have everything we need, cold baths and so on, to recover from the heat.
