‘that’s Our Dna’: Russo Praises ‘proper English’ Performance Against Netherlands

Alessia Russo says England ever knew they were tin of producing performances specified arsenic nan 1 that delivered an emphatic 4-0 triumph against nan Netherlands, arsenic she praised her teammates for rediscovering their DNA.

England were nether unit having been beaten by France successful their opening Group D fixture astatine Euro 2025, knowing a conclusion successful this lucifer could sound them out, but nan defending champions had spoken successful nan buildup astir wanting a “proper England” capacity and Russo believed they recovered one. The Lionesses will beryllium guaranteed a spot successful nan quarter‑finals if they conclusion Wales successful St Gallen connected Sunday.

“I deliberation ‘proper English’ to america means: ‘We’ll activity hard, we’ll activity until we can’t tally immoderate more. We’ll instrumentality together,’” Russo said, aft being named arsenic Uefa’s subordinate of nan match. “And we cognize we’re very ascendant connected nan shot arsenic well. Returning to that, that’s our standard, and that’s our DNA arsenic a team, and we decidedly saw that today, from nan first infinitesimal correct until nan end. Everyone was moving truthful hard.

“We were really ascendant connected first and 2nd balls, and objective pinch our chances. We astir apt could person scored moreover much arsenic well. It was decidedly thing that we wanted, to return to our roots, and we cognize we’re tin of performances for illustration that.” When England deed specified standards, she said, “the sky’s nan limit”.

Sarina Wiegman said nan “proper England” building had been coined by her players since they responded to a disappointing tie pinch Portugal successful February by beating nan world champions Spain astatine Wembley successful their adjacent game. After her squad again demonstrated their expertise to bounce backmost strongly, nan caput coach said: “The players usage that [phrase] a batch now. [It’s about] togetherness and nan fight. But astatine nan aforesaid time, erstwhile you’re successful possession, for maine it’s important that nan passes we play are pinch purpose, and coming you really saw nan intent successful each walk we played, and for maine that’s besides ‘proper English’.”

The England right-back Lucy Bronze praised her chap defenders Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood for epitomising nan idea, saying: “Alex [Greenwood] was front-footed, she was aggressive. Jess Carter was wholly covering her each azygous infinitesimal of nan crippled arsenic well. You put successful nan difficult activity to make judge you’re doing a occupation for nan squad and that your teammate has sewage your back. Those 2 really embodied that and gave a batch of nan remainder of nan squad confidence.”

The Netherlands caput coach, Andries Jonker, admitted England’s capacity took his broadside by surprise. “It is simply a dense conclusion and we didn’t spot it coming, we thought we would beryllium capable to compete pinch England,” he said. “It was a surprise. I carnivore nan responsibility. We were convinced this crippled scheme would activity retired but unluckily it didn’t.”

Ella Toone, nan scorer of England’s 4th goal, told nan BBC: “We needed that. We should beryllium proud of ourselves. We knew we had it successful us. It should beryllium a capacity that we should beryllium really proud of. There are ever doubters – we don’t perceive to it. We cognize we person nan talent, but it is conscionable astir getting it retired connected nan pitch.”