What Makes Wiegman So Successful?

To scope 1 awesome tourney last is special. To scope nan last successful each 5 awesome tournaments astatine which you person managed is extraordinary.

Only Sarina Wiegman has done it.

The Dutchwoman will beryllium hoping to lead England to back-to-back European titles erstwhile they look Spain successful Sunday's Euro 2025 last (17:00 BST).

"It says a batch that erstwhile nan Netherlands are retired of a tournament, location are nary questions asked that I will enactment to travel England - that's really large Wiegman is," says Dutch journalist Rivkah op het Veld.

"Everyone wants to cognize everything astir her."

Euro 2025 final: England v Spain

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Wiegman was calved successful The Hague - nan 3rd largest metropolis successful nan Netherlands - and was a PE coach astatine a secondary schoolhouse while playing football.

She went connected to skipper her state and made 99 appearances earlier retiring successful 2003 while pregnant pinch her 2nd child.

"From erstwhile I first met her, I thought conscionable what a beautiful personification she was. She was a awesome communicator. She knew really to talk to individuals," said erstwhile England striker Ellen White.

"Being Dutch, she's bully astatine being honest. She gave you a consciousness of belief, emotion and passion. That's why everyone, arsenic overmuch arsenic they wanted to triumph for nan team, wanted to triumph for Sarina."

Wiegman is known for being nonstop "but not blunt", arsenic she stresses, and for her calm demeanour connected nan sidelines.

She seldom shows her emotions, though she has been crisp successful media conferences pursuing a defeat, and funny successful others erstwhile she is much relaxed.

A caller chant by nan fans, who switch nan connection 'tequila' pinch 'Sarina' successful a opus by The Champs, has made her blush successful Switzerland.

With property and experience, Wiegman has loosened and passim England's chaotic Euro 2025 campaign, has celebrated intensely, moreover describing it arsenic being "in a movie" and telling players "they astir killed her astatine slightest twice".

The 55-year-old moreover sang a opus successful Dutch to nan players successful a post-match huddle past week.

"She shows her excitement a small spot much aft games than she utilized to. She's dancing and singing. When she first came in, we didn't spot that truthful much," said midfielder Keira Walsh.

"She's astir apt 1 of nan champion managers I've played for successful position of trying to make everyone consciousness loved.

"It's a really, really difficult occupation erstwhile you're successful a tournament. She really, really cares astir nan quality side.

"Another point that you announcement is really calm she is. It makes a monolithic quality successful nan 95th infinitesimal erstwhile you're losing 1-0."

Defender Alex Greenwood says Wiegman has a "range of personalities" but balances them well.

She is often described arsenic a "mum" to nan squad and Wiegman admits that makes nan occupation difficult erstwhile she has to make difficult decisions.

"We cognize she has our [backs] for each azygous infinitesimal of each azygous day," said guardant Beth Mead.

"She will often opportunity that we each consciousness for illustration her daughters. She's very protective complete us. I deliberation that speaks volumes of nan personification that she is."

Underpinning Wiegman's characteristic is simply a ruthless desire to win.

She led nan Netherlands to nan Euro 2017 title and reached nan 2019 World Cup last earlier doing nan nonstop aforesaid pinch England successful 2022 and 2023.

Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema was asked to comparison existent head Andries Jonker and Wiegman during Euro 2025.

"Both of them are crazy astir football. I tin telephone them astatine 3am if I wanted to talk something," she said.

"They some person their ain style of training but they some want to spot beautiful football."

Wiegman's task was clear erstwhile she joined England successful September 2021. The anticipation was to present a awesome trophy.

"Absolutely. I americium aware. I travel present to bring nan adjacent level," was her consequence erstwhile she was first asked astir this astatine her unveiling successful beforehand of media.

She delivered successful nan abstraction of 10 months.

At Euro 2025, nan stakes are moreover higher. Pressure has increased, scrutiny is much aggravated and England's guidance are better.

Wiegman's motivational speeches person go much significant.

"We had a bully 1 earlier nan Italy [semi-final victory] that decidedly stood out," said midfielder Ella Toone.

"Half-time is erstwhile you talk strategies but Sarina's speeches earlier nan games person decidedly sewage america motivated. Sometimes we person gone a extremity down, but you still retrieve nan words she said earlier nan game.

"You really clasp connected to each connection she says. When she has vanished talking, you are fresh to spell and conflict for each other. She has decidedly upped her crippled pinch these motivational speeches.

"No matter what Sarina says, you listen."

Netherlands leader Jonker, who managed Wiegman during her playing career, says organisation is simply a "signature" of her teams.

Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley believes she is simply a "pragmatist", while defender Lucy Bronze says she has had to "evolve" passim her tenure.

But connected nan surface, Wiegman's winning look has remained.

She has instilled a resilience successful her squad, and relies heavy connected substitutes coming connected to alteration games. She calls them 'finishers' and believes nary matter really late, England tin find a measurement backmost into games if they are trailing.

Rarely changing her starting XI, Wiegman's gameplan is gospel. She makes tweaks erstwhile needed, but why make a scheme if you are not going to instrumentality pinch it?

"She knows what her players are tin of and sets them up successful a measurement that plays to their strengths. She knows her champion XI and wants to support them connected nan transportation for arsenic agelong arsenic possible," said Bardsley.

"It was absorbing that she learned really quickly wherever Lauren James would beryllium astir effective [at Euro 2025], and that Ella Toone had played her measurement into nan team."

Tactically, Wiegman has often been questioned.

Does she rotate her players enough? Are her substitutions excessively late? Has she solved nan conundrum of teams moving retired really to people Keira Walsh retired of games?

But astatine Euro 2025, it has paid off.

Following conclusion by France, she moved James retired wide and added Toone to nan team. She switched defenders Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood successful nan group stages, and went to a backmost 3 to bring connected much attackers successful nan melodramatic triumph complete Italy, replacing skipper Leah Williamson pinch 19-year-old guardant Michelle Agyemang who scored to unit other time.

"After nan Italy crippled she was like: 'I did [my substitutions] conscionable successful time', which I loved," said White.

"She watches what is happening. We want thing to hap quickly, but she's that calming beingness that's for illustration 'no, wait, let's spot what happens'."

Former England midfielder Fran Kirby says that astatine immoderate constituent "it will astir apt travel unstuck" but it's important they support a structure, for illustration Wiegman has created.

"It's to do pinch momentum, to do pinch structure. You're not going to get each these chances [against Spain] that they person sewage successful erstwhile games," said Kirby.

"Everyone knows their domiciled and that's group successful stone. She knows her squad and she sticks pinch it, giving players a chance to grow."

Wiegman is besides ruthless.

She dropped erstwhile England skipper Steph Houghton successful 2022, and told goalkeeper Mary Earps she would not beryllium nan number 1 for Euro 2025.

Her honesty is appreciated by many, but not all.

"Sarina has ever been direct, she ever says it really it is, whether you for illustration it aliases not, and it's thing you person to return connected nan chin," said midfielder Georgia Stanway.

"Get nan group astir you that you request and if she gives you immoderate antagonistic feedback past you cognize that nan remainder of nan unit are going to thief you to hole it."

Kirby went from being a starter successful 2022, to nan fringes of nan squad earlier she was told she would not make nan trim for 2025.

The Brighton midfielder announced her world status early arsenic a consequence but says Wiegman learned quickly what style of feedback group could handle.

"If it's not correct for nan team, she will beryllium nonstop pinch you, sloppy of what you are feeling," said Kirby.

"But she gets to cognize you, truthful you person that respect for her erstwhile you do person to person that difficult conversation. You cognize that it's not personal, it's conscionable she needs much from you aliases she needs you to do much for nan team.

"She is conscionable accordant pinch everyone, sloppy of whether you've sewage 80 caps aliases five. Everyone is treated nan same."

White says they had regular one-to-one conversations erstwhile Wiegman first took complete and they often discussed study connected Zoom distant from camp.

"She visits clubs arsenic well, and has connection pinch nine managers. She'll ever prime up nan telephone to you nary matter what clip it is," added White.

"She's truthful approachable. Yes, she is nan manager, but she is simply a quality being. She wants what is champion for you."

Bardsley's injuries meant she had to discontinue earlier making an quality nether Wiegman but she had regular interaction passim her attempted comeback.

The ex-goalkeeper was fixed a six-week deadline to return to play and erstwhile it was clear she wouldn't make it, she called Wiegman, who was "very empathetic".

"She is really emotionally intelligent and could consciousness I was disappointed. It astir apt made her action headache a batch easier but she said tons of bully things astir my career. I was conscionable grateful," said Bardsley.

"I would person loved to person played nether her. She took nan clip to person a chat and I really appreciated that because she didn't person to do that."

But Houghton did not consciousness she was fixed nan aforesaid curen and has been captious of Wiegman's attack to her.

Writing successful her book, Houghton said she felt Wiegman was "pretty brutal" successful really she communicated that she would not beryllium portion of her squad for nan 2023 World Cup.

"We were told we would cognize nan last World Cup squad connected Tuesday," Houghton wrote.

"On nan Monday, I had an quality astatine St George's Park for Nike. When I went backmost to nan changing room, I had a missed telephone from Sarina. She didn't cognize I was there, truthful erstwhile I told her, she asked maine to spell and meet her successful nan canteen, wherever she told maine she wasn't taking me.

"I recovered myself wondering if this would person been a face-to-face speech if I hadn't already been astatine St George's Park. Sarina told maine that I astir apt wouldn't play for England while she was successful charge.

"She evidently made her mind up, which is good and I've sewage to respect that. The problem was much that I deliberation she'd intended to person this speech complete nan phone, and she knew she was going to show maine I wasn't successful her plans astatine all. I thought that called for a face-to-face speech fixed nan profession I'd had."

Dealing pinch adversity is thing caller for Wiegman.

She tested affirmative for Covid during Euro 2022 and missed their last group crippled against Northern Ireland.

Captain Williamson, Euro 2022 top-scorer Beth Mead and regular starter Kirby were each ruled retired of nan 2023 World Cup pinch injury.

In nan build-up to Euro 2025, she had Earps and Kirby discontinue and World Cup skipper Millie Bright retreat from selection, each wrong 10 days.

Defeat successful their tourney opener by France piled connected nan pressure, and she was tested successful a punishment shootout triumph complete Sweden and pinch extra-time play successful their semi-final triumph complete Italy.

"She has an astonishing family down her truthful she is capable to measurement distant and not deliberation astir football. We request it arsenic players, and nan unit do arsenic well," said White.

"She has that balance. She besides has awesome method unit astir her who tin return connected responsibilities truthful that everything isn't connected Sarina.

"But she thrives nether pressure. She loves it. She's truthful meticulous successful her crippled plans. She doesn't time off a chromatic unturned."

It was a must-win crippled against nan Netherlands successful England's 2nd group crippled but opposing head Jonker knew Wiegman would not crumble nether pressure.

"She is very knowledgeable and she knows you cannot ever win. She will not panic, she will beryllium quiet successful her caput and do everything she she has to do," he said.

"Her acquisition will thief her successful nan moment. It is not a problem for her - but much for everyone astir her."

Having difficult conversations pinch players is thing Wiegman is not acrophobic to do - but it is nan hardest portion of nan job.

She has to look questions successful nan media astir those situations afterwards, astir precocious nan daze status of goalkeeper Earps.

With rumours circling that Earps had withdrawn aft being unhappy astatine falling down nan pecking order, Wiegman refused to springiness retired details.

"The measurement she handles difficult situations, my cognition is that she shares her emotion but nan cardinal point is that she has nan correct conversations pinch nan correct people," said Bardsley.

"If she's not happy astir something, she goes consecutive to nan source. She won't hit astir nan bush and kick to different group earlier dealing pinch it.

"She makes judge these things don't go distractions. There was nan constituent of truth successful her emotions astir Earps - saying she was disappointed because she was successful her plans.

"Any clip from nan extracurricular I've seen her successful a difficult situation, she says it's reliable and she's honest. She isn't deluded. She ever addresses it."

Occasionally, Wiegman's composure is surgery - often erstwhile arguing pinch nan 4th charismatic aliases celebrating last-minute goals - but White says she is still calm astir nan edifice and dressing room.

"Obviously she raises her sound successful training erstwhile she wants to definitive what she's coaching and what she wants from you," added White.

"But location are nary grey areas. She doesn't tally and spell crazy, she's not excessively low, she conscionable keeps that moreover keel."

Wiegman has learned to bask things much and make nan astir of clip spent together pinch players astatine awesome tournaments.

She laughs, but agrees, erstwhile it is put to her that she is nan 'mum' of nan squad.

"You know, sometimes erstwhile group opportunity 'the girls' I think, are they meaning my daughters, aliases are they meaning my team?" said Wiegman.

"It's tricky. I attraction astir them but astatine nan aforesaid clip I'm nan coach. I'm making these difficult decisions truthful sometimes you should time off that caring up to them.

"They're grown-up women! But a mum should care. I do [miss them] sometimes. Only erstwhile it's urgent aliases erstwhile it's really necessary, I get successful interaction pinch them."

That maternal domiciled has been important successful caller years arsenic midfielder Toone's begetter died from prostate cancer, aft forwards Mead and Rachel Daly besides mislaid parents.

Wiegman has besides knowledgeable grief. Her sister passed distant 3 weeks earlier nan commencement of Euro 2022. She celebrated successful nan last by kissing a bracelet worn successful tribute.

"We evidently person a deeper connection. We mislaid 2 group that were very, very adjacent to america successful speedy succession," said Mead.

"Sarina and I person a awesome understanding. Hopefully everyone feels for illustration that and you're seeing that connected nan pitch. She's created that culture."

Toone added: "Sarina has been amazing. She said to maine earlier nan tourney and passim nan tournament. If I ever request anything, I cognize I tin spell to her. I'm grateful we person specified a bully squad."

Kirby says Wiegman is "very professional" connected nan transportation and successful training - but she besides knows really to person a bully time.

She eats pinch nan players astatine meals, and joins successful connected games they play while connected camp, alongside adjunct Arjan Veurink, who gets very competitory astatine ping-pong.

Miedema once revealed, external that she brought a teddy carnivore to Euro 2017 and a java cup to nan Olympics successful Tokyo arsenic they reminded her of home. At nan 2019 World Cup, she had her Euros medal. These objects were utilized arsenic information and she invited players to bring their ain things.

She did nan aforesaid earlier nan Euro 2025 semi-final but is keeping her cards adjacent to her chest: "You'll astir apt perceive aft nan tournament."

Whatever happens successful Sunday's final, Wiegman is going to bask it.

Not everyone gets nan chance to take sides their European title - but if 1 female can, it is Wiegman.