England Lionesses hit with series of setbacks as Sarina Wiegman faces Euro 2025 headaches

The problem with sequels is they too often disappoint. For every Godfather, there's a slew of Basic Instincts. Sarina Wiegman admits she's not the world's greatest movie buff, but she now has the headache of being the director of the reboot to a success story that redefined a sport.

She is a Ted Lasso fan though and she does "Believe" - even if the challenge ahead requires more than blind optimism, hope and a few well-chosen quotes.

The Lionesses' Wembley win at Euro 2022 is now indelibly stamped on the national sporting consciousness - from Jill Scott's X-rated outburst to Rachel Daly's press conference karaoke, Mary Earps being peak Mary Earps, to Chloe Kelly's freewheeling, injury-time winner celebration.

It was a storied summer when Sweet Caroline became the nation's unofficial anthem, and good times really never seemed so good.

However, reality now bites for a new-look England, whose preparations for Euro 2025 in Switzerland have been hit by a series of setbacks.

Golden Glove winner at Euro 2022, Earps, made a surprise decision to retire from international football in the build-up to the tournament.

Her departure was followed by Fran Kirby's retirement and Millie Bright's withdrawal, prompting Wiegman to dismiss suggestions that England were facing a crisis. Off the pitch, it's appeared a little disjointed; on the pitch, it's been more of the same.

England's World Cup campaign in Australia underlined the issue. They could have crashed out in the round of 16 after an edgy penalty shootout win over Nigeria in Brisbane.

It was a campaign full of ups and downs - brilliant against Australia in the semi-final, but rusty and predictable in a narrow 1-0 win over lowly ranked Haiti. In the final against Spain, they were simply outclassed, with only Earps preventing the 1-0 scoreline from looking more one-sided.

Since then, more of the same: with the nadir an error-strewn defeat to Belgium that ultimately cost them a shot at Olympic qualification for Paris last year.

Portugal held the Lionesses to a 1-1 draw in Portimão - a stuttering performance that left the unflappable Wiegman uncharacteristically fuming - before England responded by beating them 6-0 at home.

And that's the problem with the class of 2025: it's hard to know which England is going to turn up - the team that beat world champions Spain at Wembley in February, or the one that lost again in Belgium just a few weeks later.

Wiegman has reached the final of her last four major tournaments as an international boss, but the draw has not been kind. There can be no stuttering start, as we saw Down Under two years ago, when the Lionesses made hard work of group qualification.

France and the Netherlands are up first in Zurich, before the Battle of the Brits - Wales, in their first-ever Euros - in St Gallen. It's not entirely wild to suggest that match could be a dead rubber, unless England spring out of the gates quickly.

However, sport needs jeopardy, and the strength in depth of this tournament has improved immeasurably. In nine tournaments between 1989 and 2013, Germany won eight times and that's not healthy for the game at any level.

The stakes are higher than ever too, with prize money more than doubled compared to the previous tournament. The 16 teams will share around £35 million, with each federation receiving at least £1.5 million and required to allocate a minimum of 30% to players. The eventual champions could take home up to £4.3 million.

Despite a slow start to sales, attendances across the tournament are expected to match those of four years ago, but it's not all cheese and chocolates, no matter how many press releases you read about sustainability and social impact.

The Swiss government pledged £71 million to host the men's equivalent in 2008 but slashed their budget for this edition to just £3.5 million, sparking fears that any lasting impact on Swiss girls' and women's football will be squandered. Progress is being made, but progress remains too slow.

The high cost of living in Switzerland means the Football Association has stepped in to provide payments to England players so they can help their families travel to the tournament - not an issue the men's team faces - with several Lionesses claiming they were further subsidising their closest supporters. Officials have also agreed a record bonus package worth up to £1.7 million if they retain their title.

Negotiations had appeared to stall - risking a repeat of the stand-off before the World Cup - but players will bank £73,000 each if they go the distance, £18,000 more than after their Wembley triumph.

However, there needs to be more performance-based incentives in women's football. Pride doesn't pay the bills. The German FA, for instance, has agreed to pay each player £100,000 if they win the final.

Unlike England, Rhian Wilkinson's Wales are determined to enjoy the experience of their first major tournament.

Draws against Sweden, a former women's football powerhouse, show they're capable, but escaping their group would be a feat that might have tested Houdini himself.

Their 2025 record doesn't inspire confidence either: played six, lost four, drawn two - and the absence of talented, injured Manchester City defender Mayzee Davies denies the tournament one of its potential breakout stars.

Wilkinson is managing expectations, though top scorer Jess Fishlock is predictably bullish and could be a smart bet for goal of the tournament, given her knack for long-range worldies.

Wales are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, and Wilkinson marked her squad announcement by scaling the summit of Yr Wyddfa.

Wales might be here for the experience, but this one means more for Spain, whose brilliant World Cup win was overshadowed by the objectionable behaviour of distinctly average men with previously little interest in women's football.

With a team that includes back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí and Champions League top scorer Clàudia Pina - arguably the best finisher in the women's game - it's hard to see past them adding the European title to their world crown.

But this is Spain, and since their Sydney high, opponents have had plenty of reasons for optimism. In six Nations League games, they failed to keep a single clean sheet, lost crucial matches to Brazil and Germany at the Paris Olympics, and were undone by Wiegman's England with the perfect game plan at Wembley earlier this year.

Branding boffins spent an age coming up with the tournament slogan: 'Summit of Emotions' - apparently representing the emotional rollercoaster of the event and its connection to the Swiss landscape.

Wiegman's team are ready to ride the highs and lows again - just strap yourselves in and try to believe that history really is for repeating.