From Borrowed Chairs to Sold-Out Stadiums: The Story of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Success

Two years ago, the organizers of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 were borrowing chairs from a furniture shop in Bern the night before their launch event. Last summer, stadiums across Switzerland were sold out. The story of what happened in between, and the work required to achieve that transformation, reveals a blueprint for growing the game, one built on education, community engagement, and a commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for fans.

Doris Keller, tournament director for Euro 2025, recalls a quiet moment during the opening match – watching the Swiss national anthem play, realizing a vision years in the making had become reality. “Before it, I always had one goal – to deliver,” she said. “I didn’t really put too much time into what role I have. I just wanted to deliver the perfect tournament. But there, what we achieved – that moment sitting in that tribune – that was definitely special.”

The success of the tournament, which saw England retain their title defeating Spain in a penalty shootout, wasn’t simply a matter of luck. It was the result of a deliberate, long-term strategy that began well before the official promotion campaign launched. Keller spent months traveling to events, educating journalists, and building relationships within Swiss communities, laying the groundwork for what would become a landmark event for women’s football.

“I started this process quite early. I went to every event I could to educate people,” Keller reflected. “For me, maybe the outcome at that early stage wasn’t so frustrating, because I’d already been facing the same audience – not knowing, but still judging women’s football and comparing it with men’s. They hadn’t yet realised the opportunity.”

That initial “education phase” proved to be the most crucial, and often underestimated, aspect of the project. PACE, a marketing agency brought on board through a tender process, recognized the need for a unique approach. “They had done their homework,” Keller said. “They were very passionate about women’s sports. They really believed they wanted to support us in the way we needed to gain there. And they didn’t want to copy-paste men’s football into women’s football.”

The tournament wasn’t intended to be a “men’s tournament with a different logo.” It required its own identity, its own promotional strategy, and its own community-focused approach. The brief extended beyond simply selling tickets; it was about building belief in the product.

The early challenges were starkly illustrated by the launch event in 2024. The borrowed chairs from a local furniture store, and the modest media turnout, highlighted the significant education gap that still existed. Anni Hofer, senior event marketing lead at PACE, recalled the moment: “That revealed to me the size of the education gap. We all thought – This represents worse than we expected. We need to rethink where we put our energy.”

Keller, while not surprised, saw the moment as a sharpening of focus. Communication and PR alone wouldn’t suffice. The promotional mix needed to go deeper – into local clubs, schools, and city partnerships. Every stakeholder needed to understand they were contributing to something different, something that required an extra effort.

“Everyone we asked to chip in was willing to help, to promote, to educate,” Keller said. “Whether it was host cities making a huge effort to reach local communities, or our ambassadors, or sponsors – everybody knew that they had to do this extra mile. They knew what it meant.”

An unexpected catalyst emerged when the Swiss Federal Council initially declined to fully fund the tournament. The resulting media coverage, though not directly orchestrated, provided invaluable publicity. “We would not have had the money to do that within our budget,” Keller noted. “But it was a society discussion. Which was never really our topic – we wanted to give a platform for women’s sports. But it happened anyway. And it helped.”

Beyond promotion, two key elements underpinned the tournament’s success: safety and ticketing flexibility. Keller emphasized that fans of women’s football require a sense of security that isn’t always paramount in men’s football. “Fans in women’s football are, I think, sometimes more important than in men’s football – because in men’s football, you know you’re going to sell out,” she explained. “In women’s football, you’re not automatically there. You have to give them a safe space. That they’re willing to come.”

This translated into careful consideration of the entire fan journey, from public transport to the in-stadium environment, ensuring families and individuals felt comfortable and secure. Ticketing was also approached with flexibility, allowing for live exchanges and adjustments to promotional efforts based on demand.

“It was important that we were more flexible on buying and exchanging tickets. And there was a lot of traffic on that exchange platform. I sometimes even put something up myself – and they went quickly.”

The tournament ultimately delivered on the hype, with sold-out stadiums and national headlines. But Keller is quick to point out the difference between hype and momentum. While the tournament generated significant buzz, sustaining that momentum beyond the event itself remains a challenge.

“Hype is loud,” she said. “And for me, it’s what we had during the tournament. But it’s very exhausting. Momentum is what you do out of that hype. And I’m not so sure we were really ready.”

Structural changes – clubs establishing girls’ teams, federations reallocating resources, and brands committing to long-term support of women’s sport – need to happen proactively, not reactively. Keller noted that many clubs initially claimed a lack of demand for girls’ teams, failing to recognize that demand wouldn’t materialize without opportunity.

Similarly, sponsors who actively supported the tournament often retreated afterwards, missing a chance to build lasting relationships with the growing fanbase. “They should not only promote the tournament,” Keller argued. “They should do much more in between. If you’re going to be at Women’s Euro 2029 in Germany, be present in women’s football for the four years in between. It’s a missed opportunity.”

Keller’s leadership style, characterized by clarity, open communication, and a focus on process, was instrumental in the tournament’s success. She prioritized the well-being of her team, ensuring a sustainable work environment. “Everybody knew exactly what their job was,” she recalled. “That’s very important – to be efficient and to deal with pressure. And if things go wrong, it doesn’t help if I put more pressure on. Because everybody already knows something went wrong. I’m there to support. That’s my job.”

A personal health scare during the build-up reinforced the importance of self-care. “I always try to protect my colleagues,” Keller added. “But it doesn’t mean I protect myself. And I sometimes forgot to appear after myself. That changed during this time. I started asking myself – why do I have to do this today? I can also do it tomorrow.”

As the conversation concluded on International Women’s Day 2026, the central theme remained “give to gain.” For Keller, the ultimate reward is visibility and proof – the moment when even former critics begin to recognize the value of women’s football. “It’s people who always spoke badly about women’s football – calling for tickets during the tournament,” she said. “That felt very nice. It wasn’t easy for them to call. And it was nice for us to spot what women’s football had become.”

Her call to action is simple: equal opportunities. “Which sounds very normal. But it’s not the case yet,” she stated. “When women’s sports thrive – the world wins.”