Sarina Wiegman: Finals Magician, England vs. Spain at Euro 2025

Sarina Wiegman: The Mastermind Behind English Success

Zürich – England coach Sarina Wiegman is not comfortable with the spotlight. When asked about the praise she has received for her amazing record of having reached five consecutive finals in major tournaments, she evades the answer. “I find it uncomfortable,” said Wiegman. “Of course, I also find it very special.” However, Wiegman’s remarkable trajectory is undeniable. On Sunday, she will lead England in the Euro 2025 final against Spain. When asked about the secret to this unprecedented achievement, there is no trace of vanity.

“I think everyone plays their part in the success,” she stated. “What I try to do is bring people together in the best way possible. The players, the staff, and the people around me are really good. And if they perform at the highest level, the chances of winning a match are as high as possible. That’s what I try to do.”

Sarina Wiegman

This streak of finals began eight years ago, when she won the 2017 European Championship at home, leading the Netherlands. Then, she led them to the final of the 2019 World Cup, where they lost against the United States. Afterwards, she received the call from England, winning the 2022 European Championship, reaching the final of the 2023 World Cup, and now, on Sunday, she will face Spain in Basel. Leah Williamson highlighted: “She’s a winner and she likes to win. She’s very competitive, even at darts. She has that touch. We talked about it in 2022, and she took us to the final. She works well with the team around her and empowers us, especially coming from a woman. I think she sees us, gives us space to be ourselves and encourages us to improve in a positive way.”

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Wiegman’s win rate with England, at 70%, surpasses that of any other national team coach, both women’s and men’s, who has managed at least 10 matches, including Fabio Capello (67%), Tommy Tranter (65%), Mark Sampson (64%) and Gareth Southgate (60%). She is the only coach to win European Championships at the helm of two different nations. Her impressive 84% win rate in tournaments places her among the best international coaches in history, in both women’s and men’s football. In Wiegman’s words, there has never been a tournament streak like this. Although the team’s morale has been good at all times, it is on the field where her management skills have been put to the test to the fullest. England has reached the final after facing the abyss on several occasions during the tournament. The “Lionesses” have used all their lives, and face Spain in Sunday’s final as the underdogs. But if there is anyone who can pull a last rabbit out of the hat, it is the magician of the big tournaments, Wiegman. Liza van der Most, a Dutch player, commented: “What she does very well is that she really lives from match to match. She doesn’t look at the final result, but is in the here and now. So she approaches each match separately. You know you have to win each match to reach the final, but she doesn’t look that far ahead.” In addition, he added: “Back then, he told us: ‘Listen, we have all the tools. We’ve come this far. A lot of people came to see us. And we’ve grown more and more as a team. We’ve also gotten closer and closer.’ So it gives you confidence without focusing too much on the result itself.”

A method he employed during that tournament to keep the players focused was to use inanimate objects as metaphors for their upcoming matches. Before a match, in the team talk, he took out a cup. For their next match, the challenge was presented through a stuffed animal. (“That was quite fun,” said Van der Most. “He surprised us with that every time”). They won the final against Denmark 4-2. Two years later, they reached the final of the 2019 World Cup, where they fell to the United States. In September 2021, when Wiegman took over in England, she established some basic rules. One of them was to ask the players to remove their jewelry during training, as it affected their performance data. “Actually, I hate rules, because I think if everyone is really aware, we are here to perform and give our best,” said Wiegman, recalling 2021 during this tournament. “And if you use common sense, then you make the right decisions. What I try to do is get principles or agreements, and if there is no agreement, of course I’m going to say: ‘OK, I think that’s how we’re going to do it’, but I think that works better.” The players say that Wiegman has evolved since her arrival. “With the years, by getting to know the team and the dynamics of each player, by gaining the trust of the players, you can see how she has changed a bit,” said Lucy Bronze. Sources revealed that Wiegman’s methods and expectations have largely remained the same from 2021 to Switzerland, and although they have seen a softer side, when it is necessary to convey tough messages, she does so concisely. “Sarina has always been direct,” said Georgia Stanway. That could be seen before the tournament, when she informed several veteran players about their role before the competition. Midfielder Fran Kirby retired from international selection after being told she would not be among the final 23, while defender Millie Bright stepped aside to prioritize her mental health, and goalkeeper Mary Earps also announced her international retirement. “I’ve always been a person who believes that connections, conversations, and communications are very important, because when things are clear, or as clear as possible, it’s good to give clarity and give context at certain times,” Wiegman said. “But, of course, as a human being, I have also evolved, so I think I do it a little better than 15 years ago.” From the outside, this period was perceived as chaos, a challenge to Wiegman’s plans with England on the brink of the abyss before the tournament began. But despite everything, Wiegman remained firm in her methods and in the way she conveyed the messages, finally finding humor in her unequivocal manner. After the victory against the Netherlands, Wiegman was at the press conference and had half an eye on the France-Wales match being played on a television at the back of the room. She was asked if she was going to watch the match and replied in the sense that she would if people stopped asking questions. Someone joked: “That’s very Dutch!”. She replied with a smile as she left: “Yes, but not blunt!” Even so, the players have seen her change, and in this tournament they could be heard talking more about their maternal instincts than before. “It’s pretty consistent,” said Keira Walsh. “She probably shows her enthusiasm a little more after the matches than she used to. Obviously, when you see her on the sidelines dancing and singing, probably when she first arrived, we didn’t see that as much. But as for how she conveys tactics and how she manages, I think she’s very, very similar.” “She’s probably one of the best coaches I’ve played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved. … She definitely shows her enthusiastic emotions a bit more.” “She is really people-oriented, and I think that’s why she is so successful with the different teams,” said Van der Most. “So, you are really asked to give everything you can and put it all on the table, but she is also a coach who is very understanding and pays attention to the individual players.”

The players have also talked about their caring side. “Most people will say that when they work with Sarina, she’s like a mother to us,” said Michelle Agyemang. “Like, she cares about our well-being, she knows how to activate us when we need to improve our quality, for example, in training. She’s ready to step in and tell us: ‘That’s not good enough, let’s be better.’ So I think she has that good balance, and she has put a lot of trust in me, so I am very grateful.” Aggie Beever-Jones, who, like Agyemang, is in her first major tournament, said that Wiegman combines maternal instincts and directorial firmness. “He’s very aware of tournament football and the toll it can take on you and how draining it can be mentally, just being in such a closed environment for however long,” said Beever-Jones. “So let our family come in, let’s have a good family time.” The players were also impressed by her pre-match speeches. “She’s very motivating, she gathers us in a circle, you’re listening to her, you cling to every word she says. She has improved her game in terms of motivational speeches,” said Ella Toone, adding that the one Wiegman gave the night before the match against Italy was particularly good. Also key to the run to the final in Switzerland was the unity of the team. There are players who know they are unlikely to play a single minute, but have remained united as a group of 23. The team’s “positive clicks” group has helped, but Wiegman’s management is also fundamental. “What really grabs my attention is that she can keep everyone motivated, from the number 1 to the last player,” said Van der Most. “And you can see that happening with England right now: everyone is willing to give their all. And that everyone is there to serve the team at that moment. And as a coach, you have to be able to do that. I think there are few coaches who can convey that so well.” We’ve seen how the bench saved England against Sweden and Italy. Their message is clear and concise for the players. He told Agyemang “go and change the game” when she entered the opening match against France. The tournament did not start as planned, with England losing 2-1 against France. But Wiegman was unfazed, having openly said that her group was as brutal as could be, and that it would not be like 2022. She admitted that it had been tough after their victory over the Netherlands, but she remained true to her principles. “Well, I also thought it was difficult, of course,” said Wiegman. “I always knew before this tournament that it was a very difficult group. I just had to focus on my work, review well and think about how we could bring people together.”

The Euro 2022 was relatively straightforward, as it kept the same starting eleven and, except for the match against Spain and the extra time against Germany, things largely went according to plan. In the 2023 World Cup, England didn’t play well until the semi-final against Australia, but it was simply too strong. They needed the uncertainty of penalties against Nigeria in the round of 16, and a tough victory over Colombia in the quarter-finals, but it never seemed like they were going home early. But in this tournament, things have been different. “I need to decompress,” said Wiegman after the match against Sweden, where she admitted that she thought England had been eliminated “four or five times”. After the agonizing victory over Italy, Wiegman said this tournament had resembled a movie. On two occasions, England faced the abyss of elimination in the qualifiers, but somehow, they sorted it out. There was the chaotic penalty shootout against Sweden, when England came back from a 2-0 deficit in regulation time. Then there was the equalizing goal in the 96th minute against Italy, and the winning goal in the 119th minute. Even in moments of distress like at halftime against Sweden, when England was losing, there was clarity over the panic. “She’s such a calming presence on the touchline,” said Esme Morgan. “She just reinforced the things that we needed to tweak and do slightly differently.” And even in those frantic final moments, the players gain perspective from Wiegman’s composure. “It makes a big difference in the 95th minute when you’re losing 1-0, and you look to the side and she’s very calm,” Walsh said. “That says a lot about her as a coach.”

Despite the turmoil, the players trust Wiegman’s judgment. “Strangely, it didn’t feel chaotic,” said Beth Mead after the match against Sweden. “I think if Sarina asks you to do it, you do it and, as a player, you support her. Sarina knows what she’s doing, there’s a method to the madness and I think that was proven.” That “madness” has led England to this opportunity to make history, where they can become the first English team to win a major tournament on foreign soil on Sunday. “Sarina is a great coach and one we have a lot of respect for,” Toone said. “She knows how to take us to the important finals, and I’m excited.” The players believe she is more relaxed with them compared to when she took office, such as when she sang “We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis” (the Dutch song “We’re not going home yet”) in the celebrations after the victory against Italy. “My English has improved, so I understand much more, but you also learn more about people, you learn more about the people you work with,” Wiegman said. “You learn more about yourself and how you respond to things, and although I am always working to develop the team and develop or try to help the development of people, I always try to continue developing myself.” “What I really wanted to do all these years and try to enjoy it a little more, trying to enjoy things a little more instead of always being so… you have to be focused on this job, you have to be focused, but you need to celebrate the moments that are good. It’s really nice.” Fundamentally, their success is due in part to the players, but also to their knowledge of tactics and their firm belief in their own principles. And it is that combination that has guided England to the brink of history, and to their fifth consecutive final of a major tournament. “I don’t know [the secret of success],” Wiegman said. “There’s one thing I’m fortunate to work with so many good people. Good players, good staff, good support from the federation with the FA this time, and before, the Dutch FA. The only thing I think I could say is that I think I’m always myself.”