Euro 2025 sees a record high for women coaches, but still outnumbered by men
ZURICH - From tournament stalwarts Pia Sundhage and Sarina Wiegman to international debutante Rhian Wilkinson, the Women's European Championship that kicks off on Wednesday in Switzerland marks an historic high for female coaches.
But while women's soccer is one of the better sports for female representation, male coaches still have a slight edge in terms of numbers with nine of the 16 teams at Euro 2025 coached by men and seven by women.
The 43.75% of female coaches is a seismic leap from Euro 2013, where just 18.75% of teams were coached by women. That figure had nearly doubled by 2017 and held steady in 2022 at 37.5%.
"It's clear progress is being made -- slowly but surely," the Female Coaching Network said. "Of course, there's still a long road ahead. Change takes time."
Lack of success has not been a factor. Between 2000 and the 2023 Women's World Cup, all but one of the major women's football tournaments -- World Cup, Women's Euros and the Olympics -- were won by female-coached teams. Norio Sasaki, the man who coached Japan to World Cup gold in 2011, was the sole exception.
Wiegman was the last woman standing in 2023 in Australia, where England reached their first World Cup final, losing to Spain.
Spanish manager Luis Rubiales was fired and then found guilty of sexual assault and fined more than 10,000 euros ($10,798) for kissing national team player Jenni Hermoso during the World Cup trophy celebration in a case that sparked a nationwide furore.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade
Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty
Singapore Three hair salons raided in clampdown on touting, vice, drugs in Geylang and Joo Chiat
Singapore The romance continues: Former 'Singapore girl', 77, returns to Osaka Expo after 55 years
Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July
Singapore Police looking into claim by driver who caused teen's death that he was an NUS student
Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home
Singapore 3 weeks' jail for man who touched himself on train, flicked bodily fluid on female passenger
Sundhage is by far the most experienced coach at Euro 2025, having been head coach of the United States and Sweden for five years each, Brazil for four years and now hosts Switzerland. She guided the Americans to gold at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
Wilkinson, who is coaching Wales in their major tournament debut, Elisabet Gunnarsdottir (Belgium), Nina Patalon (Poland), and Gemma Grainger (Norway) are the four women making their managerial debuts in a major senior tournament.
Women represented about 13% of all coaches at last year's Paris Olympics, which was virtually unchanged from the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
Women's basketball led the way with 50%, followed by football (33%) and hockey (16%). Among the worst were athletics at 13%, women's rugby sevens (8%) and women's golf (6%). REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
22 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US fans can learn from unbelievable Guatemala supporters, Pochettino says
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said Wednesday's 2-1 win over Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals felt like a game on the road, adding that the spirit of the opposing fans was something American supporters could learn from. Over 22,000 spectators attended the match in St. Louis and the majority were Guatemala supporters, loudly backing their team throughout the game even as Diego Luna's early brace helped the U.S. reach the final, where they face Mexico on Sunday. "The fans of Guatemala, I need to say, wow, unbelievable. It was like, to play there. And that was good for our players because it was an atmosphere we didn't expect," former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea manager Pochettino told reporters. Argentine Pochettino said he hoped to see the same passion from American fans when the World Cup takes place in the U.S. next year. "An unbelievable energy. That is football, that is football. When we say, the connection between the team and the fans, that's the connection we'd like to see at the World Cup. The connection that makes you fly," he said. "When we talk about culture, that is culture ... to see (Guatemala), how they fight, how the fans behave, that is an important thing that we need to learn in this country." Pochettino said that in many countries, soccer matches were seen as much more than sporting spectacles. "In a different country, you play (to) survive. You play for food. You play for pride ... it's not to enjoy, go home and laugh, that's it," he said. "The moment that we, this roster, start to live in this way, I think we have big room to improve." REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Russian Navy deputy head killed by Ukraine, says Moscow
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy and a former commander of a marine brigade fighting against Ukraine, has been killed in action, depriving Moscow of one of its most senior officers, the Russian military said on Thursday. Gudkov, who was handed a top military honour in the Kremlin by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February, was killed on Wednesday "during combat work in one of the border districts of Kursk region," the Defence Ministry said in a statement. Unofficial Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels had earlier reported that Gudkov had been killed, along with other servicemen and officers, in a Ukrainian missile attack on a command post in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, with a U.S.-made HIMARS missile. Reuters could not independently verify how Gudkov, 42, whose call sign was 'Viking', died or what he was doing in Kursk. Some Russian war bloggers said he had been in overall command of marines advancing in Ukraine's neighbouring Sumy region. In charge of the navy's coastal and land forces, including marine units, he is one of the most senior Russian military officers to have been killed since Moscow launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. At least 10 other senior Russian commanders have been killed in action or assassinated by Kyiv since the start of the war. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which accused Gudkov and his subordinates of committing various war crimes, something Moscow denied. In the far eastern port city of Vladivostok, the home base of Russia's Pacific Fleet, mourners left flowers near an outdoor portrait of Gudkov, part of a photo exhibition celebrating officers Russia regards as military heroes. Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the Primorsky region which includes the port, said in a statement that Gudkov, whom Putin appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the navy in March, had been killed "carrying out his duty as an officer" along with others, and expressed his condolences to the dead men's relatives. Attached to his statement was a video showing him awarding Gudkov a military honour and images of Gudkov - set to a patriotic Russian song - on the battlefield. "When he became deputy chief of the navy, he did not stop personally visiting the positions of our marines," Kozhemyako said on Telegram. Russian war blogger 'Romanov Light' said Gudkov was regarded by troops as one of the most effective commanders and as one of the few to tell superiors the real situation on the ground rather than what they wanted to hear. Before his promotion to the navy's top brass, Gudkov had led a marine brigade of Russia's Pacific Fleet, which had fought in Ukraine and had fought in Kursk too. Parts of Kursk were seized by Ukrainian forces in a surprise offensive in August 2024 before Russia said earlier this year it had driven them out. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Jota provided the blueprint for the modern football forward
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LONDON - A tireless bundle of energy with an eye for goal and priceless ability to find the net when it mattered most, Liverpool's Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash along with his brother on Thursday, was in many ways the perfect modern forward. In an era of the game that often shuns the towering target man striker in favour of false nines and inverted wide men, Jota was the blueprint for the high-pressing, high-energy goal-getter beloved by modern coaches. He ran himself ragged in pursuit of the ball, harrying defenders with boundless enthusiasm and seemed to love every moment of it, always playing the game with a broad smile that endeared him to fans for club and country. He was the perfect fit for former Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp's ultra-high-intensity pressing game and when the German stepped aside at Anfield last year, Jota symbolically grabbed the first goal of new boss Arne Slot's Premier League title-winning campaign. In his five years at Liverpool, he won every piece of domestic silverware available, adding last season's league title to a trophy cabinet that already included the League Cup and FA Cups he won in 2022. While for Portugal, he missed out on the biggest prizes the game has to offer, but still lifted two Nations League titles. Tributes poured in for Jota, with footballing greats including Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard, joining the Prime Ministers of Portugal and Britain in mourning his loss while former manager Klopp said he was heartbroken after hearing the news. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches new innovation centre here Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Born in the Portuguese city of Porto in December 1996, Jota joined Pacos de Ferreira's youth outfit in 2013, before making his senior debut the following year. Signed by Atletico Madrid in 2016, he was immediately loaned back to Portugal with Porto where he bagged eight goals in 27 league games before following a number of Portuguese players to Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He spent three seasons at Wolves, scoring 33 league goals in 111 games, with 17 of those coming in the second-tier Championship. Eyebrows were certainly raised in some quarters when Liverpool agreed to pay upwards of 41 million pounds ($56 million) for a player who could hardly be described as prolific. But Liverpool's recruitment team had clearly done their homework and knew exactly what they were getting. He scored on his league debut for the club, bagged a hat-trick in the Champions League against Atalanta soon after and then became the first Liverpool player to find the net in his first four home matches in the Premier League. KEY GOALS His ability to sniff out key goals and last-gasp winners became Jota's trademark. A stoppage-time winner in a 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, that came seconds after Spurs had equalised, was typical of his impact off the bench, while the club's 2022 League Cup success owed more to Jota than any other player. A double against Arsenal in the semi-final sent them on their way to Wembley, while he had pulled them away from the brink of a shock exit against Leicester City in the previous round. Introduced off the bench with Liverpool trailing 3-1, he scored as they fought back to level in regular time before netting the winning penalty in the shootout. Speaking after Jota bagged another two goals in a Premier League win over Nottingham Forest in 2023, Klopp described exactly what Jota offered his team. "As an offensive player, to be involved in absolutely each defensive situation and still be a threat offensively. There's no if, or, you can do both. Diogo is doing that. That makes him so valuable for us," he said. Jota scored 47 league goals for Liverpool in 123 appearances, a remarkable return considering he only started 79 of those matches. For both club and country, Jota went about his business in the shadow of brighter stars, with Cristiano Ronaldo captaining his Portugal side and Mohamed Salah often claiming the spotlight for Liverpool. Yet in a sport that so often celebrates the spectacular rather than the routine, Jota showed that a tireless determination to change games and stick the ball in the back of the net are perhaps the most valuable qualities in football. REUTERS
