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Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sarina Wiegman's genius and faith in 'finishers' make her the Lionesses' true star
England's second successive Euros 2025 belongs as much to Sarina Wiegman as it does to her players after the Lionesses showed incredible character time after time Sarina Wiegman is celebrating a third European Championships win and a second with England, and the manager's impact can be felt through the whole squad. Dutch coach Wiegman took the England job after winning Euro 2017 and reaching the 2019 World Cup final with her home country, but admitted before the 2025 final that she had fallen in love with her new adopted home. The FA handed her a contract extension in 2024, keeping her in the dugout until after the 2027 World Cup. And that looks like a better piece of business with each passing day. 'She is bloody amazing,' match-winner Chloe Kelly said of the boss. 'She is an incredible woman. What she has done for this country, we should all be so grateful for. What she has done for me, individually, she gave me hope, when I probably didn't have any. "She gave me an opportunity to represent my country again. I knew that I had to get game time, because representing England is never a given. "But what she has done for the women's game, not just in England, she has taken it to a whole other level. The work doesn't go unnoticed from the staff that are behind her, they are incredible people and I am so grateful to have worked with such amazing staff members.' Two themes have run through England's Euro 2025 success - the impact of Wiegman's 'finishers' and a refusal to give up however hopeless things might look. Coming from some managers, the 'finishers' tag for substitutes might feel patronising. When the word comes from Wiegman's mouth, though, it's nothing of the sort. And that's how you get a team to come back from the brink so many times. After losing to France at the start of the tournament, England might have let their heads drop. Instead, they responded in ruthless fashion, putting four goals past the Netherlands and six past Wales to reach the quarter-finals. With 20 minutes left to score two goals against Sweden, Wiegman turned to those finishers. They knew their jobs and they had their manager's faith, with Kelly, Beth Mead and Michelle Agyemang all involved as the Lionesses dragged themselves into extra-time. When the board went up to show seven added minutes against Italy in the semis, Agyemang stepped up again to force extra-time and Kelly fired home the winner. With Wiegman in the dugout, why would there be any need to worry against world champions Spain? Even after going in 1-0 down at the break after being second-best for 45 minutes. England knew they could come back because they have come back before, and surely they will come back again. 'It has been incredible, around in the camp, the training sessions, everything around the team was very calm,' Wiegman said. 'You might not think that, but it was all very calm. Just the games were chaotic and very close and tight and we were behind in a lot the games.' After the semi-final win over Italy, Wiegman said she felt like she was in a movie, but on Sunday - when asked if there were plans to relive it all - she admitted 'I don't watch movies back so often.' Truth be told, there's no need to watch the movie back over and over when you're the star. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Metro
2 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Inside Sarina Wiegman's relationship with husband Marten Glotzbach
Sarina Wiegman has cemented her place as one of the finest football managers of her generation by guiding England into the Women's Euros Final 2025. The Lionesses' head coach has transformed England's fortunes since taking over in 2021, embarking on a spectacular run of only nine losses in 69 games. These wins include the Women's Euros triumph 2022, only narrowly missing out on the World Cup to Spain in 2023, with a score of 1-0 against. Wiegman has reached the final of all the major international tournaments she has been involved in – including a Euro 2017 win with her native Netherlands and the World Cup 2019 defeat to the all-conquering USA. She will be cheered on in Sunday's Switzerland showdown by husband Marten Glotzbach, who has been at his wife's side throughout the highs and lows of her career. Let's take a brief look inside Wiegman's relationship with Glotzbach as she and the Lionesses prepare to take on Spain in tonight's final. Glotzbach, who is thought to be of a similar age to his 55-year-old wife, is a German football coach and economics professor. After earning his bachelor's degree in marketing and commerce in 1994, he worked as a teacher at Sebroek College in the Netherlands. The German worked alongside Wiegman with the Dutch Women's team before his wife was appointed as the England manager in September 2021. According to Hello! Magazine, she chose to move with her husband and her children to the UK after realising that she would need to relocate for the role. Following on from England's Euro success in 2022, Wiegman opted to recharge her batteries by jetting off on holiday with Glotzbach, with the couple posing for a selfie together on the beach. 'Family time! Different mode than two weeks ago 😅 but still enjoying all the amazing footage that's passing by…' she wrote in the accompanying caption. Glotzbach previously worked at Sebroek College in the Netherlands as a Professor of Economics, putting his official coaching qualification to use by managing the college football teams. His career actually started at Host Broadcast Services, which records major sporting events, working as a coordinator and a youth trainer. According to his LinkedIn profile, Glotzbach also has a bachelor's degree in marketing and commerce. The couple have two daughters together, Sacha and Lauren. Eldest daughter Lauren, 21, briefly followed in her parents footsteps and pursued a career in football. At 19, she signed a contract for Dutch football club ADO Den Haag, with whom she played for two years, before her contract ended in May 2025. Not much else is known about the sisters, with their parents keen to keep them out of the gaze of the public spotlight. However, the family do regularly share a glimpse of their lives together when they pose for a picture at Christmas. 'Happy holidays 🌟🎄' the football coach wrote on Instagram last year, as she posed with her husband and daughters in front of a mountain range. Back in 2020, she shared an intimate picture of the family celebrating Christmas together at home, along with their dog. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The caption read: 'What a year it's been… living differently, work differently, no fans in the stadiums. More Trending 'We missed you so much! Health is not self-evident, that has become even more clearer in 2020. 'I wish you a very merry Christmas and a very beautiful sporty, and happy 2021.' Sacha and Lauren have set their Instagram accounts to private, such is their wish to live as normal lives as possible. Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Share your views in the comments below MORE: Why are Mary Earps and Millie Bright not playing for England at Euro 2025? MORE: Ian Wright speaks out on England's surprise change for Women's Euro 2025 final against Spain MORE: Who is commentating on England's Euro 2025 final vs Spain? BBC and ITV line-ups
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Sarina Wiegman's unique England bond as Lionesses boss looks to make history
Sarina Wiegman has led England to a third straight major tournament final and has been embracing her "home away from home" as she chases more Euros glory with the Lionesses Sarina Wiegman has yet to fully conquer English, but now she's determined to conquer the Spanish in Basel on Sunday. Spain came out on top when the teams met in the 2023 World Cup final, and the Lionesses boss now has a chance to take the sweetest revenge. Wiegman has sometimes been forced to get her head around uniquely English expressions - after reacting with bafflement to the phrase 'the cat's out of the bag' during the last World Cup, her response to talk of 'sub-par' England on Tuesday was to say 'oh, we're talking about golf now?!' - but she has been able to get her message across when it matters most. 'I have been here four years and it just feels like my home away from home,' she said. 'I always enjoy it when I'm at work, when I'm in England I love it. It is just the people. The sporting culture, I really love the sport culture and the fans, of course.' Some moments have been tough, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. 'I'm still learning English but yes I have [fallen in love],' she added. 'Otherwise I would not be sitting here with such a smile on my face.' This weekend marks Wiegman's fifth straight major tournament final, but she still isn't used to the attention it brings. She won Euro 2017 with her native Netherlands, following it up with a run to the 2019 World Cup final And she is now chasing history as she leads England into a third straight final, though some things have still taken adjusting to. 'Yeah, I do find that [attention] awkward,' Wiegman said. 'Of course I find it very special too. But I do believe that everyone plays his or her part in the success. 'What I'm trying to do is bring people together in the best possible way, players and staff and the people around me are really, really good. And if they perform at their highest level, then the chance of winning a game is the highest possible. And that's what I'm trying to do." Wiegman's players have described her as a mother figure at times, and it's a relationship she has learned to embrace. Ella Toone joked that the team 'nearly killed' Wiegman through the stress of the quarter-final penalties against Sweden and last-gasp extra-time winner against Italy, and the manager agrees, but the bond between coach and squad is plain to see. 'You know, sometimes when people say about 'the girls' I think, do they mean my daughters, or my team,' she said. 'So that's tricky, I'm kind of a caring person so I need to, maybe that's the part, I care about them but at the same time I'm the coach, I'm making these hard decisions at the moment so sometimes you should leave that caring and leave it up to them.' That role involves finding a balance between spending time around the squad off the pitch and giving them their space. She says she believes 'connections make a difference' - explaining that's one of the things that has drawn her to team sports - but this tournament hasn't passed without stress as well as joy. When you've reached this many major finals, though, people listen to you. 'She's a great manager, she's someone who we all have a lot of belief in, and we know we're in good hands,' Toone said. 'We know when we go out onto the pitch we fight for each other, but we fight for her and the staff too, and all the fans watching as well.' In the lead-up to the final, FA CEO Mark Bullingham insisted Wiegman is not for sale at any price, and the bond she has with her players and her adopted country goes both ways. So much so that she admits she misses her players when they go back to their club sides. "That's what I like about the tournaments because you have more time together so you have more time to have these informal moments," she said. "When we go into Fifa windows it's 11 days and players come from games so you first get connected and everyone has to recover so it's modifications all over to get ready for the game on Friday. "So it goes really quickly, you don't have that much time, and then they go back to club and some, there are moments where there are three weeks in between camps, but there's also moments that you're three months in between. And then, I'm not a person who just goes out and has a conversation where there's no purpose. It's nice to talk, but now it's so formal and informal, that connections are better." Some things have been consistent for Wiegman, while others have changed. She recognises her English has improved, allowing her to understand more than she did when she took over in 2021, but another area of change has come in her celebrations. Keira Walsh suggested this element has been more noticeable the longer Wiegman has been in her role, and the manager says it's been a conscious change. "You learn more again about yourself and how you respond to things and while I'm always working on developing the team and developing or trying to help development of people, I always try to keep developing myself," she added. "What I really wanted to do over all these years and trying to enjoy it a little bit more. Trying to enjoy things a little bit more instead of always being so… you have to be focused in this job, you have to be focused but you need to celebrate the moments that are good, it's really nice." The run to the Euros final has provided plenty of drama and plenty of emotional moments. If the Lionesses can win on Sunday, though, we might well witness the kind of celebration from the boss that none of us have seen before. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Sarina Wiegman v Montse Tome – managers battling for Euro 2025 glory
Both England boss Sarina Wiegman and Spain coach Montse Tome were on the sidelines for Spain's 1-0 win in Sydney two years ago, but where Wiegman was seeking a second major trophy with the Lionesses, Tome was then assistant to Jorge Vilda. Here, the PA news agency take a look at the two women who will lead their sides out in Basel. What an achievement 🤝 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 24, 2025 Wiegman's appointment in September 2021 was a statement from England. The FA hired a manager who had won Euro 2017 with the Netherlands on home soil before guiding her home country to the final of the 2019 World Cup, gaining global recognition as one of the very best in the game. That success has continued with England. Her arrival was delayed by the postponed Tokyo Olympics but Wiegman took over what had been a struggling side and instantly delivered results, culminating in victory at Euro 2022 less than a year into her reign. That success at Wembley made Wiegman the first coach to deliver back-to-back European titles for different nations. They followed it up with a win over world champions the United States before adding the Arnold Clark Cup and the Finalissima to the trophy cabinet. The following year, amid rumours that rival nations wanted to poach Wiegman, England reached the final of the World Cup despite missing several key players, but Olga Carmona's goal broke English hearts as Wiegman finished a World Cup runner-up again. Despite that disappointment, the FA's faith in Wiegman was clear as she signed a new contract through to 2027. Spain's moment of glory in Australia was swiftly followed by controversy. RFEF boss Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso during the trophy presentation – for which he was later found guilty of sexual assault – and when he was forced out of the federation, coach Jorge Vilda also followed. Out of that, Tome stepped up from her position as an assistant to become the first female coach of the Spanish team. The former midfielder, capped five times in a playing career during which she won two Spanish titles, one with Levante and one with Barcelona, moved into coaching straight after her retirement in 2018 and was appointed to Vilda's staff in the same year after gaining her UEFA Pro Licence. When she stepped up to the top job in 2023 there were question marks over whether she was ready and although Spain won the Nations League in February 2024, beating France in the final, those critics returned after they finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. But Spain have won every game so far at Euro 2025 and if they finish it off with the trophy on Sunday, those doubters will be silenced.
Rhyl Journal
4 days ago
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Sarina Wiegman v Montse Tome – managers battling for Euro 2025 glory
Both England boss Sarina Wiegman and Spain coach Montse Tome were on the sidelines for Spain's 1-0 win in Sydney two years ago, but where Wiegman was seeking a second major trophy with the Lionesses, Tome was then assistant to Jorge Vilda. Here, the PA news agency take a look at the two women who will lead their sides out in Basel. What an achievement 🤝 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 24, 2025 Wiegman's appointment in September 2021 was a statement from England. The FA hired a manager who had won Euro 2017 with the Netherlands on home soil before guiding her home country to the final of the 2019 World Cup, gaining global recognition as one of the very best in the game. That success has continued with England. Her arrival was delayed by the postponed Tokyo Olympics but Wiegman took over what had been a struggling side and instantly delivered results, culminating in victory at Euro 2022 less than a year into her reign. That success at Wembley made Wiegman the first coach to deliver back-to-back European titles for different nations. They followed it up with a win over world champions the United States before adding the Arnold Clark Cup and the Finalissima to the trophy cabinet. The following year, amid rumours that rival nations wanted to poach Wiegman, England reached the final of the World Cup despite missing several key players, but Olga Carmona's goal broke English hearts as Wiegman finished a World Cup runner-up again. Despite that disappointment, the FA's faith in Wiegman was clear as she signed a new contract through to 2027. Spain's moment of glory in Australia was swiftly followed by controversy. RFEF boss Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jennifer Hermoso during the trophy presentation – for which he was later found guilty of sexual assault – and when he was forced out of the federation, coach Jorge Vilda also followed. Out of that, Tome stepped up from her position as an assistant to become the first female coach of the Spanish team. The former midfielder, capped five times in a playing career during which she won two Spanish titles, one with Levante and one with Barcelona, moved into coaching straight after her retirement in 2018 and was appointed to Vilda's staff in the same year after gaining her UEFA Pro Licence. When she stepped up to the top job in 2023 there were question marks over whether she was ready and although Spain won the Nations League in February 2024, beating France in the final, those critics returned after they finished fourth at the Paris Olympics. But Spain have won every game so far at Euro 2025 and if they finish it off with the trophy on Sunday, those doubters will be silenced.
