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| Sarina Wiegman | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sarina Wiegman |
| Birth date | 3 October 1969 |
| Birth place | The Hague, Netherlands |
| Position | Defender |
| Youth clubs | FVC, KFC, Ter Leede |
| Senior clubs | Ter Leede, Noordwijk, Sassenheim |
| National team | Netherlands |
| National caps | 99 |
| Managerial clubs | Ter Leede, ADO Den Haag, Royal Dutch Football Association (youth), Netherlands, England |
Sarina Wiegman is a Dutch football manager and former international defender who led national teams to major tournament victories. She is noted for tactical acumen, leadership, and development of elite players while holding positions in Dutch and English football. Wiegman has been influential in women's football across European and global competitions, working with clubs, federations, and elite athletes.
Born in The Hague, Wiegman grew up in a Netherlands context shaped by institutions such as KNVB, local clubs like Ter Leede and regional competitions under bodies including Eredivisie (women), interacting with coaches and players from settings influenced by UEFA, FIFA, and national academies. She progressed through youth setups that included matches against teams from Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, and Feyenoord, later representing clubs like Noordwijk and earning caps for the Netherlands women's national football team in fixtures organized by UEFA Women's Championship, FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers, and tournaments against nations such as Germany women's national football team, England women's national football team, and Norway women's national football team. Her playing career overlapped with contemporaries who moved between club competitions and national selections governed by federations like the Royal Dutch Football Association and calendars coordinated with European Championship cycles and Olympic Games qualifying.
Wiegman transitioned into coaching roles at club and federation levels, beginning in environments linked to Ter Leede, ADO Den Haag (women), and youth programs coordinated with KNVB development initiatives. She worked within structures that involved collaboration with coaches from Ajax Women, FC Twente (women), and SC Heerenveen (women), drawing on training methods used at University of Groningen partner programs and coaching education by UEFA Pro Licence courses. Her managerial path included appointments where she prepared squads for competitions like the BeNe League, UEFA Women's Champions League, and friendly tournaments against sides such as Paris Saint-Germain Féminine, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and FC Barcelona Femení, while liaising with federations including English Football Association and performance departments influenced by FIFA Technical Study Group reports.
Appointed to lead the England women's national football team, Wiegman succeeded predecessors associated with earlier campaigns involving figures from FA WSL clubs like Chelsea F.C. Women, Manchester City W.F.C., and Arsenal W.F.C.. During her tenure, England competed in tournaments such as the UEFA Women's Championship 2022, FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, and friendly fixtures against opponents including Spain women's national football team, United States women's national soccer team, and Sweden women's national football team. Her period in charge saw engagement with players who developed at academies run by Manchester United F.C. Academy, Liverpool F.C. Academy, and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Academy, and collaboration with staff from institutions such as St George's Park, English Institute of Sport, and UK Anti-Doping. She balanced media interactions with outlets including BBC Sport, ITV Sport, and Sky Sports while navigating tournament administrations overseen by UEFA and FIFA.
As manager of the Netherlands women's national football team, Wiegman led squads through qualification campaigns for the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 and FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 and worked with a generation of players emerging from clubs like Ajax', FC Twente, and ADO Den Haag. Her Netherlands side achieved notable successes in competitions involving opponents such as Sweden, France women's national football team, and Germany, and benefitted from training arrangements in facilities affiliated with organizations like KNVB and sports science partners including VU University Amsterdam and Wageningen University. Her role connected with national events such as state receptions at Ridderzaal and recognition by institutions like the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Wiegman's approach draws on tactical systems familiar in European football, emphasizing positional play, pressing, and transitional patterns seen in clubs like FC Barcelona Femení, Bayern Munich (women), and Juventus (women). She implements training methodologies influenced by coaching curricula from UEFA Pro Licence, sports science research from Aspetar, and performance analytics practiced by teams such as Manchester City W.F.C. and Paris Saint-Germain Féminine. Her tactical repertoire includes use of formations comparable to 4–3–3 and 4–2–3–1 applied against opponents such as Spain, United States, and Germany, with situational adaptations informed by scouting reports from agencies that analyze matches in UEFA Women's Champions League and FIFA Women's World Cup. Wiegman emphasizes leadership development akin to practices at Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and youth integration strategies used by Ajax Youth Academy, balancing technical skills with psychological preparation provided by sports psychologists linked to English Institute of Sport and KNVB programs.
Wiegman has received honors and awards reflecting achievements recognized by entities such as UEFA, FIFA, the Royal Dutch Football Association, and national honors including appointments associated with the Order of Orange-Nassau. Media coverage has featured profiles in outlets including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and De Telegraaf, while she has spoken at forums hosted by organizations like Women in Football, FIFA Women's Football Symposium, and conferences organized by UEFA Coaching Convention. Her peers include managers from clubs and federations such as Emma Hayes, Phil Neville, Mark Sampson, Hege Riise, and Jill Ellis, and she has been recognized with awards alongside players from tournaments run by UEFA and FIFA.
Category:Dutch football managers Category:Netherlands women's international footballers