The Netherlands football association are reportedly eyeing up a move to eventually hire Sarina Wiegman as the next men’s football team manager.
It comes after the England Women’s boss guided the Lionesses to their first ever World Cup final, but were beaten 2-0 by Spain on Sunday at Stadium Australia, with Wiegman conceding her first defeat as England manager since she took charge in 2021.
The 53-year-old previously worked as the manager of the Dutch women’s national side, notably winning Euro 2017 before guiding the Oranje to the final of the Women’s World Cup in 2019, where they were beaten 2-0 by the USA.
She has now reached four major finals, having also guided the Lionesses to European Championship glory in 2022 but is now being linked, according to The Telegraph, with the Dutch men’s national side’s head coach’s position, when it becomes available.
The outlet claims that: ‘Dutch footballing chiefs have insisted privately for months that the Lionesses’s acclaimed manager would be certain to at least make a shortlist of candidates. Her candidacy is now seen as stronger than ever.’
Netherlands football bosses are reportedly eyeing up a move to eventually hire Sarina Wiegman (pictured) as the men’s national side’s new head coach
Wiegman has previously managed the women’s Dutch team, successfully guiding them to the 2017 European Championship and the 2019 World Cup final
It comes as current Netherlands boss, Ronald Koeman (pictured) is growing under increasing pressure amid his side’s poor form this year
Former Barcelona and Everton manager, Ronald Koeman, is the current head coach of the men’s Netherlands side.
He is in his second spell in the role after having previously occupied the position between 2018 and 2020 before departing to become the Barcelona manager.
He was subsequently sacked after just 14 months in charge with the club dropping to ninth in LaLiga, but is again under more pressure since re-uniting with the Dutch men’s national side.
Since taking over in January, his side have won just one of their four matches this year, a 3-0 against Gibraltar in March.
Wiegman, who hails from The Hague and earned 99 caps for the Netherlands as a player, has already asserted this week that she would be seeing out the remainder of her contract with England, insisting that she ‘had no plans to leave’.
She is contracted with England until 2025, but Mail Sport reported earlier this week that she had been linked to the vacant USA women’s managers position.
Vlatko Andonovski resigned from the position after the American’s were beaten by Sweden in their round of 16 match.
Wiegman said, in response to the rumours linking her to the US team’s managerial position: ”I’m staying out of that (rumours about the US).
‘I’ve heard it. I’m with England, I’m really happy with England and I have a contract until 2025,’ she said on Friday.
‘I’m really enjoying my job and I have the impression that people still like me doing that job. I have no plans to leave.’
The Football Association’s chief executive Mark Bullingham said the organisation would flatly turn down any offers to take Wiegman away from her current position.
‘No price would be enough to lose her,’ he said. ‘It’s not about the money. We are very, very happy with her and we feel she is happy. I think that is the answer.’
Speaking after yesterday’s heartbreaking World Cup final defeat by Spain, Wiegman said she was proud of her team.
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Wiegman’s (right) England side finished as runners up at the 2023 Women’s World after being defeated by Spain in Sunday’s final
Wiegman has now appeared in four major finals with the Netherlands and England, while also making history guiding England to their first World Cup final this week
‘I think we gave our everything, we did everything we could,’ she said. ‘The players gave everything and we tried different tactics.
‘I have to give it to Spain. That was the team of the tournament. They played the best football. So congratulations to Spain.
‘Absolutely [we can be proud of reaching the final]. It doesn’t feel like that now but you see how we took on every challenge even before the tournament.
‘We have done great and no regrets. You just try to do everything and make the right choices all the time. Sometimes it works and today it didn’t.’
