Wiegman to stay as England manager even if they exit at group stage of Euro 2025

The Guardian

a day ago

Sarina Wiegman has the backing of the Football Association to stay in charge of England until at least 2027 regardless of how her team perform at Women's Euro 2025.
The defending champions are in the so-called group of death alongside France, the Netherlands and Wales and the FA's chief executive, Mark Bullingham, was asked whether Wiegman would continue even if England exited the tournament early. 'We're delighted that Sarina's in place until 2027 and I don't see any scenario changing that,' he said. 'She is the most successful coach in women's international football today.'
Wiegman won the European Championship with the Netherlands before repeating the trick with England and has led both countries to a World Cup final. Bullingham said of the ambitions for the Euros that start in Switzerland on Wednesday: 'As with every tournament, we're aiming to win but we know just how hard that is. We do believe we are one of a number of teams who are capable of winning. We will be doing everything to try to make that a reality.'
Bullingham said he was 'very confident' Wiegman would want to stay until at least the 2027 World Cup, praising the 'phenomenal job' she has done, and revealed the Dutchwoman was on the interview panel for the process to hire the FA's new women's technical director. Gavin Step is in that role on an interim basis while the chief football officer, Dan Ashworth, leads the search to replace Kay Cossington.
Wiegman and the Lionesses who won Euro 2022 are due to be honoured with a statue at Wembley, and an FA spokesperson said the governing body was 'completely committed' to the project. 'We are well advanced now, in the commissioning process,' they said. 'We're making good progress, and I'm hopeful we will be able to provide an update at the end of the summer.' The idea was disclosed during 2023's World Cup, when Wiegman's team reached the final in Sydney.
The UK is due to host the 2035 Women's World Cup after Fifa confirmed England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were the sole bidders, and Bullingham said 'about 33 stadia' had declared interest in staging matches at the first senior football World Cup on UK soil since 1966.
Bullingham said Northern Ireland's Windsor Park would be included, and made clear the organisers were prepared to give several proposed new stadiums, including 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,' he said. 'You could look at what could potentially happen at St James' Park, at Birmingham and at Wrexham – there are a number of other ones as well.
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'In terms of Northern Ireland, we are very focused on Windsor Park; we are not anticipating any stadiums being built in Northern Ireland. The question for Windsor Park is how we expand it slightly because the minimum number you have to get to for a World Cup bid is 20,000 and they are just off that but we think it's possible to add those extra seats and we fully expect Northern Ireland and Windsor Park to be part of the World Cup.'