Sarina Weigman Brings It Home! England Boss Etches History With Women's EURO 2025 Win
The 55-year-old, who remains under contract with England until 2027, made history by becoming the first football manager to coach in five consecutive major tournament finals
Sarina Wiegman couldn't contain her joy as she broke into a celebratory dance when Chloe Kelly converted the winning penalty in Sunday's dramatic shootout, sealing England's second consecutive UEFA Women's European Championship title.
The thrilling victory capped what Wiegman described as 'the most chaotic tournament ever."
The 55-year-old, who remains under contract with England until 2027, made history by becoming the first football manager to coach in five consecutive major tournament finals—an unprecedented achievement in international football.
Euro 2025 proved to be an emotional rollercoaster for Wiegman and her squad. England were pushed to the limit in every knockout stage match, coming from behind to win all three—either in extra time or through penalty shootouts.
That included the final, where they defeated reigning world champions Spain 3–1 on penalties following a tense 1–1 draw.
'Maybe with some more dancing. I might have a drink, but I will not be drinking as much as the players."
Her players, meanwhile, had repeatedly praised Wiegman for her inspirational team talks throughout the tournament—and Sunday's final was no exception.
'The main message was enjoy it," Wiegman explained. 'We've got so far now in this tournament. I think we all created something again together. These are the moments you dream of—well, some couldn't even dream of because it wasn't possible when they were little kids.
But go out there and enjoy it, and play your very best game."
Wiegman's latest success completes a remarkable hat-trick of European titles, having previously led her native Netherlands to the 2017 crown before guiding England to back-to-back Euro wins in 2022 and 2025.
(with Reuters inputs)
view comments
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
23 minutes ago
- Business Standard
England boss demands more investment after Lionesses' Euro 2025 glory
England head coach Sarina Wiegman has called for greater investment in women's soccer as her side celebrated Euro 2025 success at a very, very special reception at 10 Downing Street. The Lionesses successfully defended their Women's European Championship title with a penalty shoot-out victory over Spain in the final in Basel, Switzerland on Sunday. Having become the first England team to win a major tournament on foreign soil, the squad flew home to attend a reception hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock in central London. The team arrived just before 7pm, with Number 10 decorated for the occasion with St George's flags also known as the flag of England draped over windows and bunting along the railings. As Wiegman rose to speak to those gathered in the Downing Street garden she joked that this is different from standing next to a pitch. She added: I have to make my apologies (for giving) you lots of heart attacks. You all made it through and we made it through and that's why we're here now. The team is just incredible, we won the Euros but making the final, we're already legendary, what the team has done and the team behind the team. Thank you so much for having us here. It's very, very special to be here and to be in this very nice garden with the way you set it up with all these pictures, it makes it more special, it's the first moment it sinks in a little bit because it was surreal what happened last night. Wiegman, speaking a few hours before the UK government announced a new package of measures to boost access to grassroots soccer, used the moment to call for further investment in the game. This incredible team won the Euros and then straightaway sent a letter to you, the Government, asking for attention and asking for access to football for all girls, Wiegman said. Steps have been taken but we're not done yet, we have to keep moving forward and we need a little bit more." We need some more investment," she said. "We're not there yet. In England we're up there but England needs to stay the trailblazer, it needs to be the big example. The players first but also the FA, the clubs, the Government, the country, the fans let's keep being the trailblazers. In her own speech, Rayner congratulated Wiegman's team on defending their title with grit, with determination and with skill. You roared, and I know I wasn't the only one roaring with you, Rayner said. Earlier on Monday, following almost a month of competition in Switzerland, the team's airplane branded with the word home touched down at Southend Airport in south east England. In a post on social media, the team shared a photo of the Euros trophy draped in an England flag on a seat of the plane. Holding the trophy, captain Leah Williamson was first to step off the plane alongside Wiegman. Outside of the airport, crowds were lined up to welcome the team. On Sunday fans erupted with joy across England after Chloe Kelly lashed in her spot kick to give her team a 3-1 win on penalties, after a 1-1 draw following extra time. According to the BBC, a peak live audience of 12.2 million watched the game across its platforms, making it the most watched television moment of 2025 across all TV broadcasters. It was back-to-back European trophies for the Lionesses and yet another final that Kelly had a huge impact on, after also coming on as a substitute during the Euro 2022 trophy match and scoring the winner against Germany. A homecoming open-top bus parade follows in central London on Tuesday, where there will be a procession along The Mall and the celebration will finish with a staged ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace. Defender Jess Carter has not joined her team-mates for the celebrations in London as she has returned to the United States ahead of Gotham FC's NWSL match against the Chicago Stars on Saturday. King Charles III said the team had the royal family's warmest appreciation and admiration following its win. The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can, he added.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
23 minutes ago
- First Post
Oval Test: The Bumrah decision, the Kuldeep no-brainer and the Arshdeep call
The reports state that Jasprit Bumrah will be rested in fifth vs England to manage his workload. Akaash Dasgupta argues how that is the right decision and why India must play Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav at The Oval. read more India will likely be without Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth Test against England, but Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav could get their chances. Images: PTI/Reuters The series might still be alive, and while the entire focus right now will be on changing the scoreline that currently reads 1-2 to 2-2, there are a few uncomfortable questions that the Team India management will have to answer when the post-mortem of the series happens. Perhaps the one on top of the pile will be – why wasn't Kuldeep Yadav played (so far at least in the first four Tests)? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After a miracle draw in Manchester – one that saw four Indian batters play out of their skins – the visitors are still in with a chance to draw the series (which will be a repeat of the scoreline of their last tour to England in 2020-21 when the 5-Test series ended 2-2). Don't expect any changes in the batting department, barring the forced change of Dhruv Jurel coming in for the injured Rishabh Pant. The bowling department, however, is another story altogether. Head coach Gautam Gambhir had confirmed that all fast bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, are fit ahead of the fifth and final Test at the Oval, which begins on Thursday (July 31). Reports coming in from England on the eve of the final Test, though, indicate that Bumrah has been advised by the BCCI medical team to stick to the pre-decided formula of playing just three Tests and no more for the sake of his own physical well-being. Though the series is on the line and Team India would have desperately wanted their premier strike bowler to be part of the playing XI at the Oval, with captain Shubman Gill telling British Sports radio programme – 'Test Match Special' earlier – 'If he (Bumrah) feels like he's fully fit and available for us, I think it would be a great deal for us,' the call not to risk an Australia-like breakdown is a smart one. Former cricketers in the past have opined how a similar back injury or flare-up might signal the end of his career. Resting Bumrah, a decision well-planned Also, in many ways, if the decision was to play Bumrah, that could well have set the tone for future away series. Though the number one priority as far as Bumrah is concerned is to make triple sure that he doesn't suffer a breakdown like he did in earlier this year, which subsequently saw him miss the ICC Champions Trophy, if the management and one of the world's current best strike bowlers took the joint-call of going ahead and playing that might have also set a very dangerous precedent. What happens next time Team India are behind the 8-ball in an away Test series and Bumrah has already played the stipulated three Tests? Once there is a precedent, it becomes very difficult to manage fan and overall public expectations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD One thing that most experts noted at the Old Trafford Test was how Bumrah's pace was significantly down. He sent down a total of 198 deliveries (33 overs) in the fourth Test and, according to some reports, less than 1% one of them touched the 140kmph mark. He did have trouble with the landing spot at his end, but with a very quick turnaround between the Manchester and Oval Tests, for him to play his third straight Test of the series would have been a massive risk. Bumrah has so far played two Tests at the Oval and taken a total of seven wickets with best innings figures of 3/83. Jasprit Bumrah was far from his best in the fourth Test at Manchester. Image: Reuters One fast bowler who could well be back in the playing XI is the hero of Edgbaston - Akash Deep – and that could be an almost like-for-like swap for Bumrah. But Anshul Kamboj is also likely to be dropped. So, who comes in to replace him? It could then be a toss-up between Prasidh Krishna and the now fully-recovered Arshdeep Singh. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prasidh has already played two Tests in the series, but wasn't really impressive, with best innings figures of 3/128 and an average of 55.16. Former India captain Anjum Chopra recently told me that she was surprised Arshdeep wasn't played in the first Test in Leeds itself. The left-arm seamer, who has already played 63 T20Is and 9 ODIs, could produce almost Zaheer Khan-like angles. The former India great was a potent force in English conditions, especially after his Worcestershire stint and Arshdeep, with a stint with Kent under his belt last year, during which he took 13 wickets in five Division 1 matches, could well be a trump card Gill and co. haven't played yet. In many ways, Arshdeep might just have a better chance of playing at the Oval than Praisdh. Many feel Shardul Thakur – the most expensive Indian bowler in Manchester in terms of economy rate (5) - might also lose his spot in the playing XI, but that would mean the team management being alright with playing one bowling all-rounder less. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Technically, Mohammed Siraj, who always bowls his heart out, deserves a workload break too, but with the series on the line, that is very, very unlikely. But hold on. Surely Kuldeep Yadav will get a look-in at the Oval? So, how does the team management fit in Kuldeep? There is no way that either Ravindra Jadeja – a first-choice pick in the XI or Washington Sundar, who dug in deep to help save the Manchester Test with a gritty 101* will be shown the door, especially when there is talk of the Oval pitch assisting spinners, even though recent Test match pitches there haven't been too spin-friendly. In the last Test that was played at this venue, in September 2024, between England and Sri Lanka, spinners from both teams took only 3 wickets combined in the match. The Lankans didn't even bowl a spinner in the England second innings and got the home team all out for 156, before wrapping up an 8-wicket win. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel went on record in Manchester to say – 'Kuldeep, we are trying to find a way for him, but it is just (that we need) more consistent runs from our top six, so that we can bring a guy like Kuldeep in.' Ignoring Kuldeep is becoming impossible Well, the India top 6 made 425 runs combined in their second innings at Old Trafford with three century-plus scores and a 90 and with two batters falling for ducks. So, if the team is now feeling more comfortable about not having an all-rounder at number 8, Kuldeep can be drafted in in place of Shardul. That would mean India bat till number 7 (Sundar), followed by Kuldeep, Akash Deep, Prasidh/Arshdeep and Siraj (in no particular order). That would give India three spin and three pace options in the bowling department. In that case, Kuldeep could just be brought in in place of Kamboj. However, don't be surprised if the visiting team decides to have that extra batting cushion again in the fifth Test. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak went on record to say – 'You cannot go like 'because last game three guys got 100s, we can play a batter less.' Kuldeep Yadav is yet to play a Test under Shubman Gill's captaincy. Image: Reuters Whatever the final combination looks like, an attacking, wicket-taking option like Kuldeep has to be given a chance, at a time when nothing short of a win will be satisfactory, especially considering Team India could and should have wrapped up the entire series in the first three Tests itself. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Morkel, Kuldeep has been bowling well in the nets. The left-arm wrist-spinner hasn't played Test cricket since the first Test vs New Zealand, at home, in Bengaluru in October last year. He missed the tour of Australia after being sent to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for long-term resolution of his chronic left groin issue.' It's a no-brainer that Kuldeep will be itching to play. Considering England haven't faced him on this tour at all, playing him should also perhaps be a no-brainer. And if Arshdeep is also played, that might just be the 'surprise' one-two punch that helps India take the 20 wickets they need to square the series and walk out with their heads held high.
News18
32 minutes ago
- News18
Ayush Shetty storms into Macau Open quarters; Dhruv-Tanisha also advance
Macau, Jul 30 (PTI) Seventh seed Ayush Shetty eased into the quarterfinals of the Macau Open BWF Super 300 tournament with a straight-game win over Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu Kai, here on Wednesday. World No. 31 Shetty made short work of the 66th-ranked Huang, winning 21-10, 21-11 in just 31 minutes. In mixed doubles, fifth seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, ranked 18th in the world, outclassed Thailand's Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan 21-10, 21-15 in a brisk 26-minute encounter. However, it was the end of the road for Sathish Kumar Karunakaran in men's singles, as he went down to Malaysia's Justin Hoh 19-21, 12-21 in 37 minutes in the pre-quarterfinals. view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 12:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
