The secrets behind Sarina Wiegman's success - and why latest final is not ‘luck'

Independent

25-07-2025

They may have already used their nine lives, but England are through to their third consecutive major tournament final at Euro 2025.
Yes, England have been extremely fortunate to make it this far, requiring miraculous escapes to defeat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages and overcome sub-par performances.
But if the Lionesses have had some luck on their side, there is no denying that reaching another final is an impressive achievement - one that is unprecedented in England's history.
Sarina Wiegman 's run of finals is even longer, with the Dutch coach extending her streak to five Euros or World Cup finals in a row with the Netherlands and England. No other manager, in men's or women's football, has reached five consecutive finals at major international tournaments.
Wiegman was asked for her secret after England's dramatic semi-final victory over Italy and replied with a laugh: 'I'm the lucky one. I can't believe it myself.'
She gave the credit to her players, coaching staff and the support of the English and Dutch federations - but Wiegman has also played a role in extending her tournament record. 'She is a really special coach and we are lucky to have her,' said the FA's chief executive Mark Bullingham.
And even if a lot of Wiegman's decision-making at the Euros has come under question, her approach is built on relationships and fostering a team environment, and the results are hard to dispute. As Keira Walsh said: 'She's been to five finals, I think it speaks for itself.'
Empowering her players
England's togetherness and the unity of the squad has been a key part of their run to the final. Before the tournament began, England's players were encouraged to open up to each other and share their 'why' - their reason being at the tournament.
Forward Lauren Hemp said a shared understanding of every players' journey 'connects us more as a team' while captain Leah Williamson said: 'You have to know those things about each other for when times get tough.'
Wiegman has also encouraged her players to share tough moments with each other, with Beth Mead explaining: "I think we've made ourselves very vulnerable. I think that gives us so much more togetherness, so much more trust of each other.'
During the Euros, Mead has shared how she and Ella Toone have supported each other while they are both grieving the loss of a parent, while the Lionesses also came together to call for action after Jess Carter revealed she had been suffering racist abuse online.
'She [Wiegman] empowers us, which I think is important,' Williamson said. 'Especially coming from a woman. She sees us, gives us space to be ourselves and encourages us to be better - and really does encourage us to be better - in a positive way.'
Lucy Bronze spoke of how England are able to 'lift each other up' and their resilience has been required when bouncing back from their opening defeat to France or coming from behind to beat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages.
The term 'proper England' has been used throughout the tournament and part of that is Wiegman wanting 'our behaviours and how we want to support each other' to contribute to the team environment, believing that it makes a difference when under pressure. 'I have no doubt that helps in critical moments,' Mark Bullingham said.
'She's probably one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved,' Keira Walsh said. 'It's a really, really difficult job when you're in a tournament, and obviously people want to play, people aren't, but she really, really cares about the human side.'
There have been many times during the Euros where a team that has previously tasted success could have folded. But England's togetherness, built through their vulnerability, has helped them push through even when they are not playing their best.
Building a winning culture
They can't keep getting away with it, right? But the more late goals England score, the more their ability to win by any means possible becomes self-fulfilling. Italy and Sweden both left the Euros with regrets after being unable to finish England off. 'We've shown that multiple times,' Wiegman said after the semi-final.
England are winning games in a very different way to Euro 2022, with slow starts and a lack of urgency a frequent theme, but the legacy of their super-subs from that tournament has lived on at Euro 2025. The role of England's bench - and the togetherness of the 'positive clique' - has been instrumental again throughout.
The fact Wiegman has already led England to a major trophy by using her squad in this way ensures that everyone buys in. 'It just becomes more natural,' Wiegman explained when discussing her approach at the start of the Euros. 'You have set the tone at the beginning of how you want things. And then you hope that things become organic and everyone knows how it works. When new players and new staff members come in, they just straight away come into the environment and everyone knows how it is and they grow and adapt to it naturally.'
Wiegman's standards remain high and Leah Williamson explained: 'She's a winner, she's very competitive, even when it comes to darts. She has that edge to her.'
Wiegman said there was 'relief' after narrowly avoiding defeat against Italy but said: 'We never give up. We say we can win by any means. Against Sweden, with the penalty shoot-out, we were a bit lucky that they missed. Tonight we were going for that goal but it gave us something, too. This team just keeps going."
'I've heard that people have been saying that it was luck, but I think for us you kind of create those moments yourself, through belief, determination, confidence,' midfielder Keira Walsh said. 'I think it's thought out, it's purposeful, it's the absolute belief that no matter what minute of the game it is - we're gonna win or we're gonna get a result that we need to take us to extra time. I think that's kind of the resilience of this team as well.'
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said the relationships and connections Wiegman creates within the England team is 'phenomenal' and has been a critical part of the Lionesses reaching another final. 'I think she's really helped build a very, very strong culture,' he said. 'Not just amongst players, but the whole support team.'
In-game changes and staying calm
Wiegman defended the timing of her substitutes against Italy after what appeared to be an agonising wait to bring on Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang following their decisive contributions against Sweden. In the end, who are us to question her decision-making on the touchline?
"In the second half we were in their half, played well and created some chances. That's why we waited,' Wiegman said afterwards, but it still felt like a long time to persist with an approach that Italy looked comfortable dealing with - particularly when the impact of Kelly and Agyemang was so obvious when they did eventually come on.
Ultimately, Wiegman's changes worked because England won the game - and the Lionesses have now scored five goals from substitutes at Euro 2025, the most in the tournament. England's bench is one of the strongest at the Euros, with much more depth than the options available to Sweden and Italy, but Wiegman's timing has made the difference.
'[What] you notice when you play for her is how calm she is,' Keira Walsh explained. 'It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she's very calm. That speaks volumes of her as a manager.'
'She is just a cool head in the way she transmits that onto the pitch,' said FA chief Mark Bullingham. 'She looks like the coolest person in the stadium.'
Wiegman's attacking substitutes towards the end of normal time against meant that England, once again, ended up with players who were out of position during extra time. Beth Mead dropped into attacking midfield while Lauren Hemp put in a shift at left-back, as England piled numbers forward.
Wiegman, though, has guided her improvised team through different chapters of the game, particularly after England have found an equaliser but still have an unbalanced line-up on the pitch.
'You try and get that information onto your team-mates quickly and we adapt, and I think that's probably the difference that sets us apart probably sometimes at the moment tactically,' Beth Mead said after the quarter-final. 'If we can get it right, how does [the opponent] keep up with all those changes? I think that works quite well for us.
'Sarina knows what she's doing,' Mead added. 'There's method in the madness.'
Perhaps England fans need to keep the faith as well before the Euro 2025 final on Sunday.