Leah Williamson trains in boost for England before Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy | OneFootball

Sarina Wiegman has said Jess Carter is “ready to perform and compete” in England’s semi-final against Italy on Tuesday night, praising the defender’s strength of character in the face of racist abuse received during Euro 2025.

Wiegman is expected to keep faith with Carter after a below-par performance against Sweden in the previous round – one of many in the team that night – but said they had discussed the possibility of her not playing. “Of course we had conversations,” the manager said. “Although it is a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person and she wants to move on too.

“She also felt – as we did – that we had to address this. You can’t just let it go, so we did not. Then we know that there’s a match going on, we want to perform, we’re ready to perform, she’s ready to perform and compete, and that says a lot about her and the team.”

The midfielder Georgia Stanway echoed Wiegman’s sentiments and took aim at those who sent the racist messages on social media. “The people that are saying these things and doing things like this are not fans,” she said. “When we pull on that shirt we are doing it for the people we stand next to, for our families and the actual people who are there watching the games and enjoying the games. I say it with power because I really believe in that, we believe in that: the people who are like that don’t deserve to be called fans.”

The decision to tackle the abuse of Carter as a collective, with the team releasing a joint statement shortly after Carter released her own, has further united them. Stanway said: “If anything it has probably brought us closer together as a team. There’s some things that we will never be able to understand and this is one of those. We need to cut it out of society and football. Of course we don’t know the steps that it takes in order for that to happen, but right now all we can do is show our support, our togetherness, and we can be united in what we want to make sure is right.”

England will not be taking the knee in protest at racist abuse and discrimination because it is not “doing what we want it to do” any more, Stanway said. She hopes standing will “bring up more conversation and more change”.

Italy’s manager, Andrea Soncin, expressed his team’s support for Carter before the fixture in Geneva. “There is the greatest of solidarity with her and towards anyone suffering violence and abuse,” he said. “It should not be tolerated. We have a responsibility with the position we are in to send the right messages. We need to give educational messages, including to children. It is a cultural campaign, a cultural battle.”

The Juventus defender Cecilia Salvai added her backing for Carter, saying: “I hope she can detach from this tomorrow.”

In 2021 Juventus were accused of racism after posting a picture of Salvai in which she was using her fingers to narrow her eyes while wearing a red training cone on her head. The club quickly apologised and withdrew the image, saying it was not meant to have “racial overtones”.

Salvai said Italy’s players would discuss possibly supportive gestures for Carter on Tuesday. “We will talk and discuss tonight,” she said. “We are open and willing to do anything to send a strong message.”

Wiegman said Leah Williamson had recovered from the injury which forced her off against Sweden, and warned England against underestimating Italy. “It would be really disrespectful to think we are the favourites,” she said. “They made the semi-final just like we did and that’s very impressive for any team. Complacency is the biggest mistake you could make. You have seen how they have played … we have to be at our very best to win.”

Header image: [Photograph: Harriet Lander/The FA/Getty Images]