Sweden enters a phase of uncertainty after their loss in Gerhardsson's last match as head coach.

Earlier this year, Gerhardsson announced his intention to step down after the Euros, and former Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson has already been named as his successor. However, it remains to be seen how the squad and support staff will look when he takes over in the coming weeks.

"Many of us on the team will be departing after this, so there are a lot of emotions involved. But when you make a decision... even if you're unsure how far you'll go in a tournament, you can only focus on the current game," Gerhardsson informed reporters.

The match in question was an exciting encounter, ending in a 2-2 draw followed by a nail-biting penalty shootout that featured saves, missed kicks, and a goalkeeper from Sweden's Jennifer Falk who saved four out of seven penalties but ultimately ended up on the losing side after 18-year-old Smilla Holmberg missed for Sweden.

Sweden easily advanced through the group stage, winning all three matches and leading 2-0 at halftime, but England coach Sarina Wiegman's late substitutions led to two quick goals, extra time, and a painful repeat of Sweden's 3-2 defeat to Canada in the 2021 Olympic final.

Falk's overall performance suggests she will remain the first-choice goalkeeper, but captain Kosovare Asllani and winger Sofia Jakobsson are both 35, while defender Linda Sembrandt is 38, indicating they may have played their final championship for Sweden.

When asked about seeing players like Sembrandt after the final whistle, striker Stina Blackstenius expressed that it was challenging.

"Today feels very emotional in every sense; it's hard to articulate what you truly feel, but yes, it is difficult," she told reporters, summarizing Gerhardsson's eight years in charge.

"Part of this championship was something we anticipated, aiming for a nice conclusion to our time with Peter... I believe we cultivated an incredibly positive atmosphere during this championship. It's clear we would have preferred a better ending than this," she stated.

"It's just unfortunate that it couldn't happen that way. Peter has led for many years, and we've performed well in championships, yet we never quite reached our desired destination."