Women's EURO 2025: Denmark coach Andrée Jeglertz on strong squad harmony and the leadership of Pernille Harder

Denmark are preparing for their 11th UEFA Women's EURO finals, with the 2017 runners-up eyeing a strong run in this year's tournament under the guidance of their coach Andrée Jeglertz.

A former Sweden Under-21 international who also has experience at Finland women and Canada women, and will step down after the finals, the 53-year-old spoke to UEFA.com about his hopes for this summer, the influence of captain Pernille Harder and the strong harmony among his squad.

On his philosophy

First and foremost, I have to think about what kind of players we have. I may have lots of different ideas about football, but I have to start with the type of players we have in Denmark. What are the strengths of Danish footballers? What kind of culture should we make use of? That’s the foundation.

Then there's also the Danish culture and the DBU's [Danish Football Union] strategic plan that comes into that – what kind of football, what kind of expression do we want? It should excite people, it should be fun to watch, and at the same time, you have to win. And I think we have the players for it. So I'd say those are the key elements of what we want to be and what we can become when people watch us play.

On Pernille Harder

Pernille is a very talented footballer — that's probably the first thing I should say. She's won leagues for the past nine or ten years with different clubs and she has developed into a dynamic footballer who can really be used in any of the attacking positions on the pitch.

What’s impressed me most about Pernille is how she's grown as a leader, not just thinking about what she does herself on the pitch, but taking responsibility for the team's performance, supporting players out on the pitch, stepping up when we're having a tough time and helping the team succeed. So, as a footballer, [she's] very good, but it's the leadership side that I've seen her develop the most.

On chances of qualifying from the group stage

We have a good chance. If we focus on Sweden and Germany [they also play Poland], then of course, when you look at their history and the players they have, there are a lot of them playing for top clubs across Europe, so obviously they're very, very good teams.

While we could just as easily lose those games, I also think we have a good chance of picking up points and winning them. I think it will be quite tight, and I have a lot of belief in us and what we can do. If we perform as we're capable of, then we'll definitely have a good chance of progressing.

On the strong harmony in the squad

I'd like to think I've played a part in that, but I also believe it has a lot to do with the players' culture – how they are towards each other and how they understand that for a team to be successful, you have to stick together, both on and off the pitch.

Every role is important, whether you play 90 minutes or end up on the bench. We need all the players, and I think this group has understood that. Everyone feels involved and that they have a role, and of course, one of my greatest responsibilities is to make sure that's the case.

Not everyone can be the key player in every match — it's going to be different players at different times, and those who aren't named in the starting line-up will have another role. The players handle that really well, even though I know everyone wants to be on the pitch.