Sarina Wiegman: Lionesses boss tipped to get Premier League job with future up in the air
Sarina Wiegman has surprisingly been tipped for a Premier League role after masterminding the Lionesses' triumph at the Women's European Championship. The 55-year-old Dutch coach, who also led England to glory three years prior in the same competition and to the final of the Women's World Cup in 2023, is now being talked about as a potential trailblazer in English football.
Despite no current vacancies in the Premier League, ex- Tottenham Hotspur star Jamie O'Hara is adamant that Wiegman has the credentials to transition from women's to men's football, even if Wiegman herself remains nonchalant on the idea.
Speculation has gained momentum after FA chief Mark Bullingham remained coy regarding Wiegman's future, despite her having signed an extension last January to stay on until after the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
When quizzed about securing Wiegman's services beyond her current contract following her latest accomplishment, Bullingham said: "It's a bit early for that. We are delighted she is with us for the World Cup, and we will have that conversation at an appropriate time."
However, speaking on talkSPORT, O'Hara suggested that the FA's hesitation might just be a blessing for a top-flight club. The 38-year-old pundit is convinced that Wiegman possesses the necessary skills to take on the challenge, reports the Express.
"Unbelievable from the Lionesses. They've made it happen. Unbelievable from Sarina Wiegman as well," O'Hara said on The Sports Bar. "She plays great football, style of football. We want to play out from the back. We want to move the ball quickly. She's very calm. She's collected. She's done the business at the highest level.
"Tactically, she gets things right. She knows when to make subs. In tournament football, it's different. I understand. I get that. I don't think it's different pressure. It's only pressure because she'd be the first [woman to manage in the men's game]".
Jermaine Pennant, O'Hara's co-host and ex-Arsenal and Liverpool star, said: "It's a good question. The thing is, Premier League or the WSL [Women's Super League] is totally different from tournament football. Like I said, you can play not at your best and manage to scrape through.
"Over 38 games in the Premier League, you can't do that. There'll come a point where you'll get found out and you'll end up in a dogfight, in a relegation battle. So it's a different test."
Yet, former Spurs midfielder O'Hara stood firm in his opinion. He continued: "If you gave her the right infrastructure, you gave her the right football club, you know, with the players who would respect what she's about and respect what she's done, and I think you get that from Premier League footballers.
"I genuinely believe that she could handle it tactically. She's amazing in the press. Everyone loves her, what she's about as a manager. She knows what she's doing. She's got a really good team around her. The modern-day footballer, I think doesn't want a Mick McCarthy anymore. They don't need someone to come in and give them a grilling and get on their case."
When Pennant was asked whether he would have welcomed Spurs appointing Wiegman instead of Thomas Frank during their recent managerial hunt, he replied: "I wouldn't be against it. Yeah. I genuinely wouldn't be against it. I'm being serious. Because respect is earned, and she's earned it."
The Euro 2025 victory marks Wiegman's third consecutive European Championship success, having previously guided the Netherlands to glory in 2017. But what does Wiegman herself think about stepping into men's football?
In 2023, she insisted there was no progression to be made. She said: "My thoughts now are totally not in men's football, my thoughts are with the women's game and what we can do. I am just really happy in the role I work in now and I am really enjoying it... I really love my job for the FA and with England. This is the highest level."
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