There has never been a woman in charge of a men’s soccer team. Of course, Hannah Dingley briefly managed Forest Green Rovers in the English second division last season. As such, the men’s team managerial position is a male sanctuary. Unsurprisingly, the women’s game is dominated by men,
Due to the differences between men and women’s abilities, there aren’t many women in leadership positions. However, the soccer world is taking notice, as the English soccer team is looking to become the first in the world to appoint a woman as the head coach of the England national team.
One of the candidates for the honor is Sarina Wigman, who is in charge of the England women’s national team. Wigman led the team to a disappointing 0-1 loss to Spain at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where they finished as runners-up.
The FA is considering Sarina Wigman as a replacement for England manager Gareth Southgate, the Daily Star reported on Tuesday.
Wigman has never been in charge of a men’s team before. But her accomplishments are great. At the 2019 World Cup in France, she took charge of her native Netherlands and led them to the final. Although they lost to the United States and finished as runners-up, it was an unexpected achievement. Four years later, at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, she reached the final again, but fell to Spain 0-1.
Notably, Wigman also earned the distinction of being the first coach to reach back-to-back finals while managing two different countries (Netherlands and England).
Individually, Wiegmann has led four consecutive FIFA-organized women’s finals. In addition to the two World Cups, she coached the Netherlands to the 2017 Women’s Freestyle Championship and England to the Women’s Euro four years later, where they defeated Germany to win the title.
After five years in charge of the Netherlands women’s national team, Wigman was named England’s head coach in September 2021. So far, she has only lost twice in 39 matches.
It’s a feat that has earned him a place on the short list of candidates to manage the men’s national team in soccer’s most dominant nation.
Mark Burlingham, CEO of the English Football Association (FA), recently emphasized that Wigman could take over from Southgate. She could become the first female head coach in men’s international soccer. That means she could make soccer history.
For starters, Southgate”s contract runs until the end of Euro 2024 next summer. Even if she wins the tournament, the current mood is that there will be no extension.
Several names have been thrown around to succeed him. Graham Potter, Steve Cooper, Frank Lampard, Steve Holland, and of course, all men. But Wigman’s great work has put him in a position to compete with the men.
Burlingham recently said, “They say the England men’s national team spot should go to the best Englishman. Why does it have to be a man?” he asked. The men’s team has already been coached by a foreigner.
“I think our answer is always, ‘The best person for the job,'” Burlingham continued. We think she’s doing a great job, and we hope she continues to do that for a long time, and we think she can do anything she wants in soccer.”
Finally, Burlingham revealed that “if she decides to go in a different direction at some point in the future, I think she’s perfectly capable of doing that,” expressing his belief that she would do well in charge of the men’s team.
Meanwhile, Wigman, who was born in The Hague, Netherlands, fell in love with the game at an early age, playing street soccer with her male peers and eventually joining a youth soccer academy where she trained with the men’s team. 바카라
In 1988, she moved to the United States to play at the University of North Carolina, where she played alongside some of the biggest names in women’s soccer at the time, including Mia Hamm and Christine Lilly, and helped lead the team to the 1989 NCAA championship.
After playing in the U.S. until 1994, Wigman returned to the Netherlands to work as a physical education teacher at Segbroek School, where she also played club soccer. He began his coaching career as a club coach in the Netherlands in 2006 and was appointed head coach of ADO Den Haag the following year in 2007.