Lionesses get £55,000 boost to avoid repeat of 2009 vs Germany

England stars will land a £55,000 bonus if they beat old foes Germany in the Euro 2022 final.

The figure, agreed before the tournament by the FA, will be a big boost for some players, as the average annual Women’s Super League salary is less than £50,000.

The overall England squad total of around £1.3m for a tournament victory is much lower than the £5m bonus the men would have received if they had won last summer’s Euros.

England’s showdown with Germany on Sunday is like  a replay of the Euro 2009 final, in which Germany ran out as 6-2 winners.

The game came at a time of supreme dominance for the Germans in international women’s football. Their victory in Finland on September 10 saw them secure their seventh European Championships title, while the Lionesses featured in their second final.

Inside 22 minutes, Germany were already 2-0 ahead with goals from Birgit Prinz and then Melanie Behringer.

England pulled a goal back through Karen Carney two minutes later, with Jill Scott also seeing an effort cleared off the line just before the break.

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Kim Kulig restored Germany’s two-goal cushion five minutes after the break, with Kelly Smith producing a trademark finish to cut the deficit to 3-2. But in the final half an hour, Germany ran away with the game with Prinz adding her second, alongside a double from Inka Grings.

Now, the two old enemies will face each other again on Sunday in the Euro 2022 final, with perhaps a little bit of revenge on the cards in the Wembley showdown billed for 5pm