In Mary Earps' departure, Sarina Wiegman faces the toughest challenge of her England tenure

New York Times

30-05-2025

Sarina Wiegman is not afraid of making big decisions.
After the Netherlands' second group-stage game of an ultimately victorious 2017 European Championship, she dropped her captain, Mandy van den Berg, for the rest of the tournament.
The England boss did not recall former England captain Steph Houghton for the 2023 World Cup, despite external pressure.
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Mary Earps' shock retirement announcement, five weeks before England defend their European Championship title in Switzerland, is a different matter, though. The Athletic reported that Wiegman had told Earps she would not be England's No 1.
This time, the shoe is on the other foot. Wiegman was not the decision-maker. Parallels can be drawn with Rachel Daly's decision to retire in April 2024, the morning after she played four minutes of England's Euro 2025 qualifying win against the Republic of Ireland.
Wiegman had hoped Earps would play an 'important role within the squad this summer', according to a Football Association statement.
When asked at her press conference on Thursday whether she had tried to convince Earps to stay, Wiegman said: 'She knows I want her in the team, so of course, we talked about that.'
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, who, like all in this article, wishes to remain anonymous to protect relations, Earps informed Wiegman of her decision to retire in April, but the England boss asked her to reconsider.
Wiegman is usually very straight-talking and pragmatic with the media. She can be blunt, especially after poor performances or defeats, but at Thursday's press conference, her tone was not as harsh as expected. Instead, she drew on emotions rather than concrete details, refusing to engage with 'private' conversations. She repeated she was 'disappointed', 'sad' and that it was 'hard' for both player and manager.
'She has done such a great job for England,' Wiegman said. 'She has made a massive difference and we've had an incredible journey. I really cherish that. That's where the disappointment comes from, too.'
While Wiegman expressed her sorrow in front of the media on Thursday, in a short address to the squad on Monday evening, with Earps present, Wiegman expressed, as well as disappointment, sentiments of frustration and anger at the goalkeeper's decision before walking out of the room. The England boss refused to thank Earps in the meeting when encouraged to do so by some players.
When asked if disappointment tips into annoyance, given Earps' decision to withdraw five weeks before the Euros, Wiegman said she wanted to keep it to 'disappointment'.
For Wiegman, this is by far the toughest task to be played out in public during her England tenure.
First, she hates noise around the team.
'She doesn't like that,' Arvid Smit, Wiegman's former assistant who will work with England after the Euros, told The Athletic in 2023.
'If (leaks) happen, it can kill you as a team. She doesn't want the pressure to get in the way — don't be busy with what's happening outside of the bubble. She will not leave an opening for anyone who is outside the team. That's impossible. That's what makes her team so strong. You are in a bubble in a tournament. Together with staff and players, there's nothing going out and in. She manages that really well.'
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Second, she is always focused on what is best for the team and is reticent to talk about individuals. In Wiegman's eyes, no one is bigger than the team.
Previously, for tournaments, Wiegman has communicated to players whether they are starters, substitutes or squad members, that she expects them to fulfil those roles even if their gametime is limited. Players appreciated such an honest approach during the Euro 2022 campaign, which garnered mutual respect and trust.
For Earps to retire, leaving her team worse off without her, is not in keeping with Wiegman's core principles. But Wiegman did not go there on Thursday; she kept it amicable, knowing that her squad, which is already splintering with the absences of Earps and Millie Bright, did not need further disruption.
When asked what Earps' departure says about her team being a team, Wiegman paused.
'I don't know where you want to go with this question, but we're talking about Mary's retirement, and that's hard,' she said. 'It's hard for her, it's hard for us. We wanted her in our team. I just really want to keep it to that answer.'
When asked if she feels a sense of togetherness among her team, she replied affirmatively, 'Yes, I do'.
The absence of Bright, like Earps, a key experienced leader in the squad, is another serious concern. Bright said on the Daly Brightness podcast that she is 'mentally and physically' at her limits and needs a break, forcing her to withdraw from the England squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Portugal and Spain. The FA announced on Monday that she had to undertake 'an extended period of recovery'.
Of course, the team goes beyond Earps and Bright, and ultimately, players and staff have one common goal: to win. Former Netherlands staff members have in the past praised Wiegman, ability to bring people together, but never has there been such a high-profile departure that went against the manager's plans and wishes.
Whereas previously Wiegman has been so adept at running a tight ship, cracks are starting to appear with big-name players putting themselves first.