Who is England women's football coach Sarina Wiegman?

Leader of the pride! Lionesses coach Sarina Wiegman, 52, cut her hair as child to pass as a boy to play football and broke records in The Netherlands before retiring to have a family

• Sarina Wiegman, 52, steered England to Euro ’22 final on 19-game unbeaten run
• The Euro 2017 winner with Holland has transformed the Lionesses in her tenure 
• But the road to footballing glory has not been a smooth one for the star manager
• She started playing football on the street, before turning pro, then coaching 

England has never had a better shot at winning an international tournament, with just one match standing between the team and the coveted trophy, and many are crediting one woman – manager Sarina Wiegman.

The 52-year-old Dutch coach, who was born in the Hague in 1969, has become the most in-demand manager in the women’s game thanks to her success at the highest level, but her journey hasn’t always been smooth.   

Sarina was first spotted playing football on the streets of the Hague alongside her twin brother as a child.

According to reports, she circumvented a ban on girls playing for boys’ teams by cutting her hair so short she could play with her brother’s team unnoticed when she was just six-years-old.

Sarina later went on to play for a women’s team, HSV Celeritas. Then, when she was 16-years-old, she was called up by the Netherlands in 1986, going on to become the first woman to rack up 100 caps for her country.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has been praised for her pivotal role in England’s success (pictured here celebrating England’s quarter final victory over Spain with Alex Greenwood)

The seasoned professional, who reported cropped her hair short as a child so she could play football with boys, is now one of the most sought-after managers in the world (pictured here celebrating after England beat Spain in the Euro 2022 quarter final)

Sarina Wiegman, pictured here while playing for Holland, was the first woman to earn 100 caps for her country

After a successful playing career, which she had to combine with a job as a PE teacher, Sarina went on to work as an assistant trainer for Holland (pictured here during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015)

Sarina then moved to the States to play for the University of North Carolina while studying.

She has described the experience as being ‘completely out of her comfort zone’, however, the athlete has been praised by those who played with her as being confident and capable. 

The now mother-of-two followed her US stint with a tenure at Ter Leede, during which time the team won two league titles and a Dutch Cup.

Because the women’s game at the time was not a professional sport, Sarina had to combine playing with working as a PE teacher. 

She retired from playing football in 2003, aged 33, when she became pregnant with her second child with husband Marten Glotzbach. 

After having given birth to her two daughters Sacha and Lauren within a three-year timeframe, she then returned to Ter Leede as a coach.

Throughout this time, Sarina continued to juggle her football and PE teaching careers.

It was in 2014 that Sarina starting working for the national team’s coaching staff, first becoming, Netherlands Women assistant coach, before becoming head coach in 2017, leading Holland to glory in a home Euros in that year, before reaching the World Cup final two years later. 

Thanks to her success, she has scooped some prestigious prizes, including Best FIFA Women’s Coach. She has also been made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in her native Netherlands.

The Dutch coach succeeded Phil Neville when she took charge of England in September 2021

Sarina Wiegman has helped guide England into the European Championship final

She accepted the England Women job in 2020, coming to the team as a winner, and her appointment as Phil Neville’s successor was a sign of intent from the FA. 

Speaking about the appointment, she said: ‘England is the cradle of football and the major developments in women’s football globally over recent years have been led by the FA. I’m very much looking forward to contributing my experience and expertise to this ambitious team.’ 

It was not until September 2021 that she started the job, taking over an England side that had won just four times in their last 13 games, replacing interim manager Hege Riise who’d held the position for six months following Neville’s departure for Inter Miami.

It had been an unsuccessful and disappointing period, and confidence was low after Team GB, which included several England players, was knocked out of the Olympics at the quarter-final stage. A fresh start was needed.

Ten months on and England are unbeaten in 19 games under their new manager and are on the cusp of winning their first major trophy in the women’s game.

Several players have described this as the best squad they have ever been a part of and there is optimism that this could be their year.

Among the attributes Sarina has brought to the team are adaptability and ruthlessness, all forged using her famously direct approach.

Under Neville, England’s philosophy was to build from the back. When it worked, it was brilliant. But there was a sense of predictability in their play and when it failed, they often came unstuck.

Alessia Russo celebrates after coming off the substitutes’ bench to score for England

Beth Mead has completed a turnaround under Wiegman and is the top scorer at Euro 2022

The Lionesses feel more adaptable under Sarina. She too wants to play out from the back, but there is no fear in going direct if the conditions require it.

Take England’s win over Germany in the Arnold Clark Cup back in February. Wiegman’s decision to put centre back Millie Bright up front for the final minutes of the game paid dividends, with the defender scoring the decisive goal.

At the Euros, she has been incredibly pro-active from the touchline when things have not quite gone England’s way. 

Goalkeeper Mary Earps, of Manchester United, says Wiegman has encouraged precise passing

Wiegman has earned much respect from the England players who play under her

Goalkeeper Mary Earps has explained how Wiegman allows her team to be versatile.

‘The right ball is the right ball. If I’m playing a longer ball, it’s a pass, you’re not just whacking it around. Sarina’s definitely keen on the players having the freedom to express themselves and making their own decisions.’

When it comes to the Lionesses being more ruthless, England’s record under Wiegman is 19 games played, 104 goals scored and just four conceded. Her team are currently averaging well over five goals a game. 

Part of that is to do with the standard of opposition they have faced. England beat Latvia 20-0 in a World Cup qualifier last year and there have been 10-0 wins over North Macedonia and Luxembourg.

Wiegman’s substitutions have been effective, with Ella Toone netting a crucial equaliser against Spain in the quarter-final victory at the Amex Stadium

England have a greater adaptability under Wiegman and have even played defenders in attack

But even then, the 8-0 hammering of more respectable opponents like Norway at these finals show just how merciless the Lionesses can be even against fair opposition. 

There is no doubt they have become more ruthless under Sarina. This is a term she has used constantly in press conferences. She always wants her team to score more goals. There have been times when they have won 10-0 and Sarina has insisted they should have scored more.

Players have also credited Sarina’s direct and honest approach as a major factor in their success.  

A common theme that has emerged from speaking with different players is clarity. Every member of the squad knows their role and what the Dutch coach wants from them.

‘She’s super direct and she’s really honest which definitely goes a long way,’ says Earps. ‘She’s really keen on transparency and having open conversations.’

England have turned into a major force under Sarina and are on the brink of success

Sarina held the Euro 2022 trophy at the draw — and she would love to keep it after the final

One player who has flourished since Sarina’s appointment is Beth Mead. After being dropped from the England squad by Riise, Mead went on to score 14 times under Sarina – which broke the record for most goals in an international season.

Since the tournament started she has added another six goals and is now Euro 2022’s top scorer to complete a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.

‘I’ve known where I’ve stood, what she’s expected of me,’ Mead says of the coahc. ‘She’s given me a lot of confidence on the pitch and on the training pitch. 

‘It’s just been easy for me to go on the pitch and do what I know I can do and have the backing of my manager. I would say I’ve been a lot more free. The expectation she has for me, I understand a lot more than probably in the past.’

Dutch managers are known for their direct approach and Sarina doesn’t beat around the bush, especially in press conferences. 

She will not be drawn into bold statements or analogies and she is reluctant to talk about individuals, preferring instead to focus on the team as whole. 

Leaving Steph Houghton out of England’s Euro 2022 squad was a brave decision by the coach

In the past for example, Neville labelled Lucy Bronze the best player in the world, a comment the right back seemed uncomfortable with.

With Sarina there is less emotion. Her decision to leave former captain Steph Houghton out of her 23-player squad showed she has no room for sentiment.  

Sarina is not someone who will ‘give caps away’ to players on the fringes of the first team. Even for games England are expected to win comfortably, she will usually pick the strongest available team.

‘Obviously as a striker it’s great,’ Mead says. ‘We have scored a lot of goals in qualifying but we could have scored more, we missed a lot of chances as well.

‘Sarina is keeping us on our toes and she’ll always expect more. No team is perfect but she’s striving for perfection and that’s what we want as well.’

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