- Regardless of the results in Switzerland, the FA is backing the manager.
- Wiegman and 2022 Lionesses to receive Wembley statue
The Football Association has backed Sarina Wiegman to lead England until at least 2027, regardless of how her team performs in Women’s Euro 2025.
The defending champions are in the so-called “group of death” with France, the Netherlands, and Wales, and the FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, was questioned if Wiegman would stay even if England departed the tournament early. “We’re delighted that Sarina’s in place until 2027, and I don’t see any scenario changing that,” he told me. “She is the most successful coach in women’s international football today.”
Wiegman won the European Championship with the Netherlands before repeating the feat with England, leading both nations to the World Cup final. Bullingham said of his hopes for the Euros, which begin in Switzerland on Wednesday: “As with any tournament, we want to win, but we understand how difficult it is. We believe we are one of several teams that are capable of winning. We will do everything we can to make that a reality.
Bullingham said he was “very confident” Wiegman would want to continue until at least the 2027 World Cup, praising her “phenomenal job” and revealing the Dutchwoman was on the interview panel for the FA’s new women’s technical director. Gavin Step serves in that capacity on an interim basis while Dan Ashworth, the chief football officer, leads the search to succeed Kay Cossington.
Wiegman and the Lionesses, who won Euro 2022, will be honored with a statue at Wembley, according to an FA representative, who stated that the governing body is “completely committed” to the idea. “We are well advanced now in the commissioning process,” remarked one of them. “We’re making good progress, and I’m hopeful we will be able to provide an update at the end of the summer.” The concept was revealed during Wiegman’s team’s appearance in the final of the 2023 World Cup in Sydney.
The United Kingdom will host the 2035 Women’s World Cup after FIFA confirmed England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as the sole bidders, and Bullingham claimed “about 33 stadia” have expressed interest in staging matches for the first senior football World Cup on UK soil since 1966.
Bullingham said that Northern Ireland’s Windsor Park would be included and that the organizers were willing to give many proposed new stadiums, including one in Manchester, a chance to be completed. “There are probably [six] stadiums that could be built throughout the next few years that could be really attractive to host a tournament in the United Kingdom in 2035,” according to him. “Take a look at what could happen at St. James’ Park, Birmingham, and Wrexham, among others.
“In Northern Ireland, we are highly focused on Windsor Park; we do not expect any stadiums to be erected there. The concern for Windsor Park is how we can slightly extend it because the minimum number required for a World Cup bid is 20,000, and they are barely short of that, but we believe it is doable to add those extra seats, and we firmly expect Northern Ireland and Windsor Park to participate in the World Cup.”