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It has been a wild ride for fans who have followed England’s Euro 2025 journey.

Give the loved ones of the Lionesses a thought in Switzerland.

Following five matches over the course of three weeks, they have cheered every goal, kicked every ball, and watched every penalty from behind their hands as Sarina Wiegman’s side have been on a rollercoaster ride together.

The challenge of Euro 2025 has been particularly challenging for England duo Ella Toone and Beth Mead.

The two have played their first major tournament since losing a parent, with Mead losing her mother to ovarian cancer in January of that year, and Toone’s father, Nick, suffering from prostate cancer, passing away in September of that year.

Joe Bunney, Toone’s boyfriend, told BBC Sport, “We were talking about him only the other day as a family.” Nick would have adored this, Nick said.

“Nick gave us a lot of great inspiration to help us support Ella,” he said. We can probably win the Euros for him with just one more step. He is watching over her every goal she scores and every game.

“The people she has around her are really important,” Ella says. Additionally, Beth Mead. Similar circumstances are occurring for them. They have each other, and they are so resilient to endure what they’ve been through during the football season, before moving on to the Euros.

While Toone and Mead have shared grief and bonded over the pitch, the Lionesses’ families and friends have been bonded over Euro 2025, especially as they have celebrated England’s late goals.

Michelle Agyemang’s 96th-minute quarter-final equalizer against Italy was all a bit of a blur, Bunney said. In front of me was Michele’s family. The scenes were unbelievable.

I ended up on row three because I was sat in row seven and didn’t finish there. Michelle’s family must be very proud of themselves, I told them. When Alessia Russo and Ella were having an impact on the games, it transports us to 2022. It’s significant because Michelle and her family are such a wonderful couple and we get along really well.

Lucy Bronze’s seventh major tournament for England will be at Euro 2025.

She scored in the 79th minute against Sweden to force extra-time, and she also scored with a brilliant penalty in the shootout, which was also a star for the Lionesses in Switzerland.

The things that they did for us during this tournament, Bronze’s brother Jorge said to BBC Sport, “My goodness.”

People keep asking me if I’m having a great time while I’m here, but I’m not. Simply put, trauma follows trauma after trauma follows trauma. It’s been a fantastic experience that was exhausting, emotional, thrilling, and everything in between.

Jorge’s two young children make up the Bronze family in Switzerland.

Lucy absolutely adores playing silly games with her and a five-year-old.

After a very intense game of football, they were playing a little hide-and-seek with auntie Lucy in the ground at 1am.

Under Wiegman, players’ families and friends now play a role in the success of England, according to Jorge.

“We’ve noticed a real shift,” Jorge said. “Undoubtedly, there has been a strategy under Sarina to get the family and friends interested, but we are aware of our role.”

“My four-year-old refused to finish my half-eaten cheese sandwich when we took Lucy to a play park. Every player has their own downtime in their own way, but everyone is having a slightly different experience.

“We just want to give them that little bit of normality,” the family said. whether it’s hitting her at table tennis or Mario Kart, or just chatting things up, I’m still her older brother. Whatever it may be, the players are what we are trying to serve.

Giorgio Russo, Alessia Russo’s brother, was on Love Island, making it impossible for him to play in England’s first two Euro 2025 group games.

He left Spain for Switzerland just in time for the nervy quarter-final defeat to Sweden in Zürich.

Giorgio said, “Me and her are our best friends and we talk a lot about everything non-football.” She was the first to learn about Love Island. She can’t help but switch off from work because we’re such good friends.

At Euro 2025, Giriotta was completely unaware of roller coasters. With his dramatic extra-time semi-final victory and tense penalty shootout win over the Netherlands and Wales, he missed the big wins over the Netherlands and Wales.

It’s been a lot of work,” she said. Giorgio said, “I’m not used to this as a fan.” When I arrived for the knockout, it was difficult, but elation at the end. The group stages started shaky but really came back.

You actually feel it from the perspective of a family member, which is a different kind of emotion. They were all unable to watch the penalty shootout [against Sweden] with my mother, Ella’s mother, and Leah [Williamson’s mother]. I laugh so hard watching Leah’s mother that it seems like she’s in pain during the games.

The girls can obviously sense it, and when a goal is scored, the celebrations are insane, but I don’t think I would want to go anywhere else.

Giorgio calls Georgia Stanways brother John-Paul one of the “fun police” along with Joe Bunney, and he coordinates gatherings with the players’ friends and families.

Even when making a quiet meal with family, it turns out to be a team outing, according to JP, who reported that word about the meal spread the day after England’s semi-final victory over Italy.

He said the following day that we had a Chinese meal. There were the Toones, the Walshs, and Jill Scott who joined us as a few members of the team who learned of this meal.

We didn’t really talk much, they said. Simply being calm. We discussed the final tickets, briefly describing the situation. Our task was to calm her down and restore normality to her mind. We made an effort to maintain its consistency and authenticity.

Georgia, JP’s message: “I want to thank you for the memories you’ve given us. Back-to-back-to-back championships. Not so grateful for the heart attacks you’ve caused in recent games.

For fans watching England’s Euro 2025 journey, it has been a wild ride.

Spare a thought for the Lionesses’ loved ones out in Switzerland.

They have been there every step of the way on the rollercoaster journey with Sarina Wiegman’s side, following five matches over three weeks, cheering every goal, kicking every ball and watching every penalty from behind their hands.

For England duo Ella Toone and Beth Mead, Euro 2025 has been particularly difficult.

It is the first major tournament both have played since losing a parent, with Mead losing her mum, June, to ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone’s dad, Nick, was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in September 2024.

“We were talking about him only the other day as a family,” Toone’s boyfriend Joe Bunney told BBC Sport. “Nick would’ve loved this.

“The inspiration Nick gave us to support Ella in the way he did was great. Hopefully one more step and we can win the Euros for him. Every goal she scores, every game, he’s watching over her.

“For Ella, it’s really important the people she has around her. Beth Mead as well. They’re going through a similar thing. It’s nice for them to have each other and they are so strong to get through what they’ve been through in a football season and then go to the Euros.”

While Toone and Mead have been united by grief and bonded off the pitch, throughout Euro 2025 the Lionesses’ family and friends have been bonding off it, particularly celebrating England’s late goals.

“It was all a bit of a blur,” Bunney said of celebrating Michelle Agyemang’s 96th-minute quarter-final equaliser against Italy. “Michelle’s family were in front of me. The scenes were crazy.

“I was sat on row seven and I definitely didn’t finish there, I ended up on row three. I was talking to Michelle’s family about how proud they must be. It takes us back to 2022 when Alessia [Russo] and Ella were making an impact on the games. It’s massive for Michelle and her family are a lovely family and we get on really well.”

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.”

Alessia Russo’s brother Giorgio missed England’s first two group games of Euro 2025 because he was on Love Island.

He swapped Spain for Switzerland and flew out in time for the nervy quarter-final win over Sweden in Zurich.

“Me and her are best mates, we talk about everything outside of football,” Giorgio said. “She was the first person I told about Love Island. We’re really good friends and it helps her switch off from work.”

All Girgio has known at Euro 2025 is a rollercoaster. Missing the big wins over the Netherlands and Wales, the two games he has been to have seen a tense penalty shootout quarter-final win and a dramatic extra-time semi-final victory.

“It’s been really hard. I’m not used to this as a fan,” Giorgio said. “The group stages started shaky but really came back and when I got out here for the knockout it’s been tough, but elation at the end.

“There is a different type of emotion when it’s a family member, you really feel it from their point of view. For the penalty shootout [against Sweden] my mum, Ella’s mum, Leah [Williamson]’s mum, they all couldn’t watch. Leah’s mum makes me laugh so much it’s like she is in pain in the games.

“It’s a tense environment, the girls can obviously feel it and when there is a goal, when we win the celebrations are absolutely crazy but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else I don’t think.”

Described by Giorgio as one half of the ‘fun police’ alongside Joe Bunney, Georgia Stanways brother John-Paul helps to organise gatherings with the players’ friends and families.

Even when arranging a low-key meal with family, it turns into a team outing and JP said word spread about a meal the day after England’s semi-final win over Italy.

“We went for a Chinese meal the day after the Geneva game,” he said. “A few of the team got wind of this meal so there was us, the Toones, the Walshs, Jill Scott joined us.

“We didn’t really chat about much. It’s just calmness. We talked about tickets to the final, a little bit of how the game was. Our job was to take her mind off it and bring some calmness and normality. We tried to just keep it normal and keep it real.”

JP’s message to Georgia: “I want to say thank you for the memories you’ve given us. Back-to-back-to-back finals. Not so thankful for the heart attacks you’ve given us for the past few games.