#the bit about dom and this exchange with lynn aww

[pajorko]

It is Switzerland, not Poland, that will organise the European Women's Championship in 2025, but as Ewa Pajor assures, this will only create additional mobilisation in the team to qualify for the tournament. All the more so as Switzerland is fondly remembered by some of the national team players. After winning the match against Costa Rica in Łódź, we also talked to the captain of the Polish national team about, among other things, Tuesday's rivalry with some of her Wolfsburg teammates in the match against the Netherlands in Rotterdam and the Women's Champions League.

Do you believe in destiny?

I don't know what you are going for.

I'm talking about Euro 2025, which, by UEFA's decision, will be organised by Switzerland. If you get the qualification, you and a lot of players from our national team will have the chance to return to the country where you won the European U-17 championship. I think this Switzerland is meant for you.

It's true. We were in the briefing room with the whole team when UEFA announced the decision and then the coach just remarked that some of us have very good memories of Switzerland. I hope we will go back there, although we know that we have a new Nations League qualification ahead of us and in that we will fight to go to the championship. Of course, I hope Switzerland turns out to be lucky for us again.

So there was not much disappointment in the team that this tournament would not take place in Poland after all?

We, of course, really wanted the Euros to be held in Poland. And we didn't mean that it would have been easier for us, because we wouldn't have had to compete in the qualifiers, and we would have qualified for the big event for the first time in our history without any stress or major effort. No, we think quite differently. If we win this historic promotion ourselves on the pitch, it will taste much, much better than if we get it on a platter. We wanted the Euros to be held in Poland so that women's football would get more exposure in our country and maybe even more girls would get into football when they see what it's like at the highest level in Europe.

With a good performance in the qualifiers and promotion, you can also spark enthusiasm among fans and maybe the next championship will already be hosted in Poland.

We hope so, that in the Nations League we will play good matches, which will be attended by a lot of fans. We also hope that Poland will apply to host the next Euro, because we know that our country is capable of organising such events, because we have fantastic stadiums, and Poland is in the middle of Europe, so it is an ideal place to host such a big tournament.

Didn't this decision dishearten you a little before the match against Costa Rica? Despite winning 2:1, it was not the best performance in Łódź.

I don't think it had an impact. We are aware that we didn't play a great match and it wasn't our game. We said that to ourselves right after the game. But such matches can also be for points in the Nations League, where even if the game doesn't go our way, which was the case against Costa Rica, we also need to win. Such matches in the qualifiers will be very important, so that in such tough moments we aim to get three points at all costs.

You helped the team by coming in from the bench, making an assist and scoring a goal. One could say that you played your role as captain one hundred per cent, because you pulled the team together in a difficult moment.

I want to help the team in every game. Whether it's an assist, a goal or a tackle to block an opponent's shot. I started the match against Costa Rica on the bench, so I could watch the first half from the sidelines. I knew that if I or any of us got subbed in, we would want to add energy to the pitch, change the image of the match and simply win.

Especially as the match was in a special city for you, with the training camp taking place in your home town of Uniejów. After training you can go out for dinner at your mum's (laughs).

In Uniejów we have really great facilities. The pitch is at the highest level, even though the weather may not be particularly good. I feel at home here, which I have a ten-minute drive to. So far I have only been there on Monday before the training. There was no time after that. We still saw each other at the stadium in Łódź, where almost all my family were in the stands. However, the staff decided that since we were spending the Easter holiday at the training camp, we would have a more relaxed day on Saturday. A dinner is planned, to which the girls could invite their family and friends. I will definitely be going home for a bit afterwards as well. It's a cool initiative on the part of the staff.

You will be able to recharge your batteries before the second match that awaits you at this team camp. On Tuesday in Rotterdam, a prestigious clash against the Netherlands. What do you expect from such a rival?

Certainly a very intense match. It's going to be a top-class opponent and I'm very happy that it's going to happen, because it's going to be a big test for us.

You know the Netherlands very well, because at least half of the backline of the World Cup runners-up and the playmaker plays with you at Wolfsburg.

Thanks to that, I know that they are really amazing footballers. And I'm really looking forward to playing against them.

And the fact that you know Dominique Janssen and Lynn Wilms so well from the club, is that an advantage for you, or does it cut both ways, because they also know you very well?

I don't think we can hide anything from each other (laughs). I know them very well, and with Dominique Janssen, I actually compete at every training session because the coach always sets us against each other when we have big or small games. I know her very well, she knows me very well, so it's definitely going to be an amazing duel that I'm really looking forward to. We were already saying goodbye in the locker room after the last league game against Werder and I said to Lynn see you soon and she said that we will swap the jerseys. I replied that sure, it would be a very nice souvenir of this cool encounter for me.

You also have fond memories of the match against the Netherlands, as you have already scored a goal for them. That meeting in Jelenia Góra was the most unusual match you've played in?

Yes, definitely. I was just asked by one of the physios at that training camp if we had played against the Netherlands before. I say we even won 1:0, but the match only lasted 45 minutes because the lights went out (laughs). I hope that in Rotterdam it will only happen again, that we will have nice memories again because we will win. We are going there to play a very good match and we will see what happens.

Especially because it will be a dress rehearsal for us, because it will be the last game before the start of the Nations League.

Therefore, it will be a very important encounter. We will want to go out and play what we have been working on for the last two years. We want to show our style and play a good match, especially because we know we won't see each other for five months.

After the national team camp, the most important part of the club season will start. You have complicated the situation in the German league for yourselves, but ahead of you is the German Cup semi-final against Bayern and then the fight for the Champions League final against Arsenal. That one trophy is still missing from your personal trophy cabinet.

It's all true. In the Bundesliga, we unfortunately lost to Bayern recently and to Hoffenheim earlier, which means it's not all in our hands anymore. There are still four rounds left. We will want to win these matches and then let's see what happens. Whether Bayern will lose points or not. We will definitely fight until the end. And, as you mentioned, one trophy is still missing from my trophy cabinet. We have the semi-final against Arsenal and we'll see what happens. I for now am not thinking about whether we will play in the final of the Champions League. I'm thinking about playing a very good game at home first against Arsenal and then in London and progressing to that final. Before that, however, we have the German Cup semi-final in Munich ahead of us. That's what we're concentrating on, because we also want to go to Cologne once again.

More than 30,000 tickets have already been sold for the match at the Emirates Stadium in London, yet there is still plenty of time left. The setting was already great for the Champions League quarter-final matches. Plus the packed Wembley during the England-Brazil Finalissima on Thursday. What has been happening with women's football lately is probably a dream come true for you female footballers?

Of course, it is something beautiful. I already had the opportunity to play at the Camp Nou in front of 90,000 spectators and I can say that I didn't even dream of such a thing, and yet it happened. That's why you have to dream and have such goals, to play in front of such an audience in such important matches. As part of the regeneration after the game against Costa Rica, the girls and I watched England vs Brazil at Wembley. The pace was incredible. The progression that women's football is making is something unbelievable and these matches are a pleasure to watch. I hope the fans in Poland watched that game because it was the highest level of women's football.