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England players are contributing their own money to help cover the cost of bringing family members to Switzerland for this summer’s Women’s European Championship, due to the country’s high cost of living.
Four Swiss cities – Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern – ranked among the top 10 most expensive cities globally last year, behind only Hong Kong and Singapore. The average price for a pint of milk is as high as £1.67.
The FA are providing England players with a financial contribution to support the travel and accommodation expenses of their families.
The sum is comparable to what was provided for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia, and it matches the amount given to the men’s team.
The average salary in the Women’s Super League (WSL) was reported by the BBC in 2022 to be £47,000 per year. A comparable figure for a Premier League player was £4.7 million annually – 100 times more.
England midfielder Georgia Stanway said: ‘I’m aware that Switzerland is a very expensive country. Even just for flights, hotels, the cost of living there is extremely high, so we understand the demand it is on fans. And I think that’s difficult for us as well because we want to help and support as much as possible.’
England's Lionesses (above on Wednesday) are contributing their own money to help cover the cost of bringing family members to Switzerland for this summer’s European Championship
Georgia Stanway described Switzerland as a 'very expensive' country and revealed she and her team-mates will be 'putting hands in pockets' so that family members can attend
Ella Toone says it will be 'difficult' for families who intend to stay out for the whole tournament
The tournament will take place across Switzerland, with the Lionesses playing their first two group stage matches in Zurich against France and the Netherlands on 5 and 9 July.
They will then travel to St Gallen to face Wales on 13 July. The final is scheduled for 27 July at St Jakob-Park in Basel.
Stanway said: ‘A lot of us are putting our hands in our pockets to make sure that our families can get over there. We would love to see as many fans as possible, and we want to thank them in advance because we know it’s not cheap.’
Teammate Ella Toone added: ‘I think it will be a bit difficult for players’ families who are staying out for the whole tournament. I know that I’ll always help my family be out there and make memories with us.'
