West Ham’s Swiss influence of Seraina Piubel, Nadine Riesen and Leila Wandeler

West Ham’s Swiss influence of Seraina Piubel, Nadine Riesen and Leila Wandeler Seraina Piubel, Nadine Riesen and Leila Wandeler are giving West Ham a growing Swiss influence, with all three now representing both club and country together. West Ham have developed a strong Swiss connection over the past couple of seasons.With Seraina Piubel, Leila Wandeler and Nadine Riesen now part of Rita Guarino’s squad, the Hammers have three Switzerland internationals within their ranks. The trio bring different experiences to east London. Piubel has already established herself as an important attacking option, Wandeler has continued to develop after arriving in 2025, while Riesen joined this summer with extensive experience from both Switzerland and Germany. Seraina Piubel: The established Hammer Piubel was the first of the current Swiss trio to arrive at West Ham. The forward has become a familiar name for Hammers supporters and has shown her ability to make an impact in important moments. Her 2025/26 campaign was affected by injury, but she still produced some memorable moments. Piubel scored in West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Women’s League Cup in October 2025. She also played an important role in the final stages of the 2025/26 season. In West Ham’s 2-0 victory away at Aston Villa, Piubel scored the second goal late in the game, alongside Riko Ueki. Embed from Getty Images This season, Piubel has started every game across all competitions so far, showing how important she is becoming under Guarino. Her importance was clear in West Ham’s 2-1 win over London City Lionesses in September. Piubel provided the pass for Kelly Gago to open the scoring, sending the French forward through on goal. There is also a familiarity between Piubel and Riesen that stretches back several years. The pair played together at FC Zürich Frauen, where they won back-to-back Swiss league titles in 2022 and 2023, as well as the Swiss Cup in 2022. That existing relationship could be valuable as Riesen settles into life in east London. Nadine Riesen: A new defensive addition While Piubel and Wandeler were already familiar faces at West Ham, Riesen is the newest member of the Swiss connection. The defender joined the Hammers in June 2026 from Eintracht Frankfurt, signing a three-year contract. She became Rita Guarino’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window, following Katie Zelem, Constance Picaud and Laia Codina. Riesen has already built an impressive career despite being just 26. She began playing first team football at the age of 15 with FC St. Gallen before spells with BSC YB Frauen and FC Zürich Frauen. She then moved to Germany in 2023 to join Eintracht Frankfurt. Embed from Getty Images During her time in Frankfurt, Riesen became a regular first-team player and made 69 appearances, providing nine assists from 2024/25 onwards. Her international experience is equally important. Riesen has earned more than 40 caps for Switzerland and played every minute of their four matches at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. She also scored in Switzerland’s opening group match against Norway as the hosts reached the quarter-finals. Now, she is bringing that experience to West Ham. The early signs suggest she is already becoming a regular part of Guarino’s plans. Riesen started West Ham’s recent WSL fixture against Everton, lining up at right-back as the Hammers continued their 2026/27 campaign. Leila Wandeler: The youngster making her mark Wandeler represents a slightly different part of West Ham’s Swiss influence. At just 20, the forward is still developing, but she has already shown that she can contribute at WSL level. She joined West Ham in August 2025 from French side OL Lyonnes on a three-year contract. Before moving to London, she had made three appearances for the French club and scored once. Wandeler also arrived with major international experience for her age. She represented Switzerland at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 on home soil, making three appearances, including the quarter-final against Spain. Embed from Getty Images Her first season in England saw her make 25 appearances in all competitions. She scored her first West Ham goal against Charlton Athletic in the Women’s League Cup and later registered her first WSL assist against Tottenham Hotspur. She was also named the club’s Young Hammer of the Year for 2025/26. Wandeler has continued to show her development this season. In September, she featured prominently during West Ham’s League Cup victory over Tottenham, combining with Piubel during one of the Hammers’ best attacking moves of the match. Just a week later, Wandeler was on the scoresheet again. She headed West Ham’s second goal in their 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton in the Subway Players Cup, finding the net after a cross from Inès Belloumou. It was another example of the forward’s development and her ability to contribute in the final third. Three players, one international connection The biggest indication of West Ham’s growing Swiss influence is that all three players are now regularly involved with the national team. For West Ham, having three players representing the same national team is significant. It also gives the club an interesting link to one of Europe’s strongest emerging women’s football nations. Piubel provides experience and attacking quality. Riesen adds defensive experience and Champions League pedigree, while Wandeler represents the next generation of Swiss talent. The three players also bring different journeys to the Hammers. Piubel and Riesen already know each other from their time at FC Zürich Frauen. Wandeler, meanwhile, has developed through a different route, moving from Switzerland to France before making the switch to England. What can the Swiss trio bring to West Ham? For Guarino, having three Swiss internationals in the squad offers more than just another national connection. It provides experience, competition and different qualities across the pitch. Piubel can offer creativity and attacking threat. Riesen gives the defence another experienced option at full-back, while Wandeler provides pace, energy and another developing attacking option. Embed from Getty Images There is also the possibility that their relationship away from the pitch can benefit the team. Footballers settling into a new country often rely on familiar faces, and for Riesen in particular, joining a club where Piubel is already established could make the transition to England easier. For Wandeler, having two senior Switzerland teammates around her can also provide another support network as she continues to adapt to the demands of the WSL. Most importantly, all three are still capable of developing further. A Swiss influence that could grow West Ham’s Swiss connection is still relatively new, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Piubel has established herself as an important attacking player. Wandeler has gone from a promising young signing to an award-winning young Hammer. Riesen has now added experience and defensive quality to the group. Together, they represent three different stages of a football career. And with all three currently representing Switzerland internationally, the relationship between West Ham and Swiss women’s football looks stronger than ever. Related articles from Her Football Hub: England beat Greece but still leave room for improvement From Alex Morgan to Naomi Girma: When women’s transfer hypes failed to become reality London City Lionesses: Jana Fernández is helping to build the rising WSL club’s next exciting chapter