Sarina Wiegman's job is safe — even if England disappoint at Euros

Times

15 hours ago

Sarina Wiegman's position as England head coach is safe until 2027 regardless of the team's performance in this summer's European Championship, the FA chief executive has said.
Giving his customary media briefing before a major tournament, Mark Bullingham said Wiegman's position was secure regardless of how England fare at Euro 2025 in Switzerland next month.
This was one of many comments expressing how the FA considers Wiegman to be indispensable. Bullingham added Wiegman could stay beyond the expiration of her present contract in 2027, and he is unconcerned by her recruitment of two more Dutch assistants.
Wiegman, 55, took charge in September 2021, guided the Lionesses to their first major title at Euro 2022, and reached the 2023 World Cup final. However, England's form has been inconsistent over the past two years and their difficult Euro 2025 group, which includes two fellow title contenders in France and the Netherlands, means an early exit is plausible.
Yet Wiegman's position is not at risk. When asked whether failing to get out of their Euros group would force him to consider a change of head coach, Bullingham was unequivocal.
'We're delighted that Sarina's in place until 2027 and I don't see any scenario changing that,' he said.
Although Wiegman's deal ends after the 2027 World Cup, Bullingham did not rule out a contract extension. In any case, succession planning has been minimal.
'We haven't started to look beyond 2027,' he said. 'We feel we're locked in for this tournament and the next, and that feels very good for now. That's not to say we wouldn't have a conversation in the future, but it's too early for that.'
Wiegman's power was exemplified by last month's announcement that two Dutch coaches, Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit, will join her staff as assistants after Euro 2025. The pair will arrive from the Netherlands team and replace another Dutch coach in Arjan Veurink, who is leaving to take charge of the Netherlands. Veurink has been Wiegman's No 2 for eight years, including her entire England tenure.
Wiegman led the search for Veurink's replacement, and her choice of two figures from her homeland provoked questions about the FA's coaching pathway. Bullingham, though, was content to let Wiegman pick who she wanted.
'She did look quite broadly, but she had coaches she already knew and had good chemistry with, so it's quite natural for her to bring in those,' he said. 'Within the set-up, it's just three Dutch coaches, so we're not overly concerned.
'If you look at the longer-term pathway, it's positive for us that we do have some strong English coaches working in other countries. You've got Emma [Hayes] with the USA, Gemma [Grainger] with Norway.'
Bullingham lauded Wiegman's achievements in his opening remarks. He called her 'the most successful coach in women's international football today' and cited how England were ranked eighth in the world since she took over, but have never sat lower than fifth since winning the Euros. Equally, he conceded that the fierce competition and tough group will make defending the Euros title difficult.
'As with every tournament we're aiming to win, but we know just how hard that is,' he said. 'We've come a long way since that magical summer of 2022, growing the women's game and the Lionesses are really well established under Sarina as one of the top teams in the world. But this is a new England team and we're looking forward and not back. We're under no illusions, we're in a tough group and it's going to be a tough tournament.'
Bullingham defended the FA's level of financial support after Georgia Stanway, the England midfielder, said players would use their own money to help their families cope with Switzerland's high cost-of-living during the Euros.
'In a perfect world, everyone would be able to have their whole family at every game,' Bullingham said. 'Whether or not they can achieve that, I'm not sure, but we certainly make a significant contribution to them to help them get there.'
There is a longlist of 33 stadiums for the 2035 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United Kingdom. At least six unbuilt venues — such as Manchester United and Birmingham City's new homes — could be added to proposals.
'We now need to get a list of about 20 that we submit for the bid, and then make sure we have the potential to include stadiums should they be built how we think they will be in the future,' Bullingham said.
Plans to build a statue of the Euro 2022 team at Wembley remain in place. The commissioning process is advanced and the FA hopes to provide an update this summer.