2025 UEFA reporter highlights: Youthful genius, departing heroes and historic achievements

It has been another action-packed, drama-filled year in UEFA competitions, with 2025 producing no end of storylines on the pitch.

Here, a handful of our reporters from around the continent reflect on their personal highlights from the last 12 months.

Alex Clementson (Paris reporter)

Amid the collective euphoria of Paris' long-awaited Champions League triumph in Munich, it was a personal honour to witness long-serving captain Marquinhos take a moment to contemplate what he, and his side, had just accomplished.

Nobody had personified Paris' previous toils in the competition quite like their totemic captain, and to be in the presence of somebody who had just realised their personal and professional dream was quite remarkable.

He was eloquent in his assessments, expressed sincere gratitude for those that had played their part, and was a true gentleman to everybody in the room at a time when all he would have wanted to do was celebrate with his team.

Mark Pettit (Tottenham reporter)

Reporting on Tottenham winning their first European trophy since 1984 was a huge personal and professional highlight for me. Top of my amazing memories from that night in Bilbao was conducting a sit-down interview with Heung-Min Son after the game.

That one-on-one chat in a quiet, darkened room is the first chance a player gets to truly analyse their achievement and display the raw emotion that comes with such reflection. In Son’s case, it was the culmination of a decade-long journey and proved to be his last competitive game for the club – a true landmark moment for both of us.

If that reporting honour was not enough, I then got the opportunity to interview England's players after winning the Under-21 EURO final. Their exuberance at tasting success at such an early point in their careers offered a fascinating glimpse at the other end of the spectrum to Son's achievement. An unforgettable year!

Joe Terry (Chelsea reporter)

My abiding memory of the UEFA Conference League final is actually two moments, linked together on a personal level for me. The first was at half-time with Chelsea losing and, after watching England lose the EURO 2024 final as the UEFA reporter a year before, I had a grim foreboding that history was repeating itself. I even began to formulate in my mind the professional-yet-sensitive questions to ask the defeated players.

Fast-forward an hour or so and I was interviewing Enzo Maresca holding the trophy, deep contentment on both of our faces. Maresca can be a tough man to crack in interviews, as he doesn’t give a lot away, but I really sensed his pride at winning the first major trophy of his coaching career.

Faye Hackwell (Arsenal Women and England Women reporter)

A highlight of being a team reporter is carrying out Champion Interviews, when you sit down with a couple of players or the coach shortly after they have won a UEFA final. These filmed interviews capture a unique moment when the initial shock and overwhelming emotion of victory have eased and a calmer moment of reflection and tactical analysis takes place, while holding the trophy on their lap.

As reporter for Arsenal in the Women's Champions League and England at Women's EURO 2025, Leah Williamson joined me for two Champion Interviews, and it was a privilege to guide her through her thoughts during two of the biggest moments of her outstanding career.

Walking into the studio at St. Jakob-Park in Basel shortly after lifting silverware with the Lionesses, the England captain recollected how, just two months earlier, we'd sat together in strikingly similar circumstances in Lisbon and said: "It always comes down to this".

Andrea De Ferrater (Spain Women reporter)

It is hard to choose a single moment after following Spain all the way to the Women's EURO final, but the semi against Germany truly captured everything this tournament meant to me. La Roja had never beaten Germany before, and the tension, the nerves, the weight of history – I felt it all while covering that match.

Then came the 113th minute: Aitana Bonmatí made history with a strike at the near post, and Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich exploded. I still get goosebumps remembering that roar. I also had the privilege of interviewing Aitana, Player of the Match and the tournament, and she is always warm and kind. To witness such moments up close is special, and I know that championship will mark another big step forward for women’s football.

Andrea in action interviewing former Spain coach Montse Tomé

Sara Nilssen Kilen (Norway Women reporter)

Nothing this year can quite compare with the Women's EURO match between Switzerland and Norway. The atmosphere hit me the moment I arrived in Basel, with the city, streets and fans creating the perfect tournament setting.

The game had almost everything you could want from an opener, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you never knew what would happen next. Norway came away with three points, kicking off a very strong group stage in an otherwise tight and competitive section. Experiencing it all unfold in Switzerland is something I'll never forget.

Judith Tuffentsammer (Switzerland Women reporter)

One of my favourite Women's EURO moments was witnessed by just a couple of people: in the flash zone after the opening game, right beside where we were standing and waiting for our interviews, Switzerland’s Ana-Maria Crnogorčević and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg met, and went back and forth exclaiming "you’re a legend!" – "no, you’re a legend!" several times, delighted to see each other.

It was such a lovely episode to observe between two icons of the game, and really set the tone for an incredible few weeks in Switzerland following the host team, sharing special moments with the players and fans across the country.

Derek Brookman (Netherlands reporter)

It was another hugely enjoyable year, which included reporting on the Under-21 EURO in Slovakia, the Women’s EURO in Switzerland, plus some epic encounters on Dutch soil (such as PSV's 6-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League and Netherlands' 2-2 draw with Spain in the Nations League finals).

But I’d have to say the highlight was working at the Unity EURO Cup, a tournament involving mixed-gender teams of refugees and players from their host communities. It re-emphasised how football is such an incredible platform for bringing people together, regardless of their situation or background.

Anton Lyssyak (Kairat Almaty reporter)

In the Champions League, the defining moment was undoubtedly the play-off penalty shoot-out win against Celtic and the sheer joy that followed Kairat’s progression to the league phase for the very first time. I cannot recall Almaty fans ever celebrating like that before.

The excitement only grew ahead of the game against Real Madrid – a match watched by not just Kairat supporters but seemingly everyone in Kazakhstan. In terms of attention and atmosphere, it was arguably the most significant game in the history of football in Almaty.

For Kairat, this season will be remembered for years to come, with academy graduates playing a crucial role in stepping up and helping the team at the highest level.

Charlie Mason (Pafos reporter)

Usually when you prepare to cover a game in the league phase, your checklist includes a thick coat, hat and gloves. But the return of the Champions League proper to Cyprus for the first time since 2017/18 – and a first-ever involvement for Pafos – meant a welcome change of conditions in late September, with temperatures still around 20C.

It didn’t take long for Bayern München to get warmed up at Limassol Stadium, scoring four first-half goals. But the highlight of the evening came from the home side’s Mislav Oršić, smashing into the top corner from range for Pafos’ first goal in the main stage of the Champions League – an unforgettable moment for all associated with the Cypriot club.

Graham Hunter (Barcelona reporter)

My first highlight was the way Lamine Yamal faced the might of Inter in the Champions League semi-finals, saw his Barcelona team dominated early on in the first leg and visibly seemed to decide "not on my watch!".

Still 17 at the time, he scored one of his many wonder goals and then proceeded to play extraordinarily for the remainder of those two epic, all-time great legs of last season's semi-final. The more he does it, the more accustomed people get, but to be there, to watch him at such a tender age decide that he was in control of the tie's destiny, and to be thrilled at the sight of what has always made us love football was a rich experience.

The other highlight was seeing a man I consider a friend, Luis Enrique, win the Champions League final in emphatic style and then for the Paris fans to unfurl a tifo of his late, much-loved daughter Xana – football brilliance followed by human spirit in very emotional form. Unforgettable.

Alex O'Henley (Scotland reporter)

Not since Manchester United's famous last-gasp Champions League final victory over Bayern at the Camp Nou in 1999 had I witnessed anything like the end of Scotland's World Cup qualifying match against Denmark.

The Tartan Army were three minutes away from entering the play-offs, but in added time Kieran Tierney curled in what we thought was the winner before Kenny McLean took the roof off Hampden Park with another world-class finish – lobbing Kasper Schmeichel from just inside his own half to seal the deal.

Scotland were going to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. My abiding memory will be the bedlam around me as impartiality went out of the window with reporters jumping for joy on top of each other... and me as I tried to find words to do justice to a game that, according to the British Geological Survey, created an "extremely small earthquake" on a night when Scotland literally shook the earth.

Domenic Aquilina (Malta reporter)

On 28 August, Hamrun Spartans made history by becoming the first Maltese club to reach the league phase of a UEFA competition in qualifying for the Conference League. This triumph was celebrated as a national milestone that captured the imagination of football fans across the country and beyond.

The achievement not only highlighted the club’s growth but also elevated Maltese football’s reputation on the continental stage. Hamrun's qualification and subsequent first-ever, 3-1 league phase home victory against Lincoln Red Imps marked a watershed moment for Maltese football.

Maltese side Hamrun Spartans have made history this year

Paul Saffer (general reporter)

The first UEFA final tournaments in the Faroe Islands (Women's Under-17 EURO), San Marino (Regions' Cup) and Moldova (Under-19 Futsal EURO) provided settings to match the memorable on-pitch action. The Faroes' especially breathtaking scenery – and handy underwater road tunnel between the Tórshavn and Klaksvík venues – made for a unique experience.

San Marino’s mountain-top capital was another stunning place to stay and the final being decided in the last minute of extra time on 1 July set the trend for a month where, travelling straight to Women’s EURO in Switzerland the following day, all five knockout games I covered including the final went beyond 90 minutes. Naturally the U19 futsal final in Chișinău, for which Moldova proved enthusiastic and hospitable hosts, was also decided in the last seconds of extra time.