Latest news with #Sarina
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
England boss Sarina Wiegman's huge personal sacrifice for family in UK
Sarina Wiegman made the move to the UK from her native Netherlands back in 2020, when she was appointed as England Women's football manager England is at full strength ahead of their Italy showdown this evening as the Lionesses aim to reach another European Championship final. Captain Leah Williamson will be fit for tonight's game and Jess Carter is "ready to perform" after the defender revealed she had been the target of racist abuse. But one of England 's key figures won't be on the pitch - she'll be watching from the sidelines. Manager Sarina Wiegman is credited as the driving force behind the national women's team success over recent years. During her five-year reign, Sarina has led the Lionesses to victory at UEFA Women's Euro 2022 and reached the FIFA Women's World Cup Final in 2023. But her many professional victories haven't come without personal sacrifice. Sarina took the reins as the England Women's football manager in 2020, amidst the global lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially contemplating a commute from her residence in The Hague, Netherlands, she soon recognised the necessity to move to the UK for her position. She relocated alongside her spouse, Marten Glotzbach, also a German football coach, and their offspring, Sacha and Lauren, embracing English culture wholeheartedly. As per The Guardian, Sarina expressed: "Although the countries are really close together there are some differences in culture, so I really tried to learn. I took some English classes in football. "I said [to the FA that] I will learn about your culture and try and adapt to your culture, but the directness you have to know... I will not go around it or change that. The other things, I will try to adapt to. I think it went really well and we've really enjoyed ourselves, I think we can still grow a lot." During the 2022 Euros, she even confessed to adopting the British habit of adding milk to her tea and sampling the national favourite, fish and chips, as part of her integration efforts. While Sarina generally maintains privacy regarding her family life, she did offer a rare peek into her personal moments in December 2020. A charming festive photograph showed Sarina, Marten, and their daughters cosily gathered around the Christmas tree, with their cherished dog also making an appearance in the heartwarming image! England, fifth in the world, are eight places higher in FIFA's global rankings than tonight's semi-final opponents, and are unbeaten in all five of their recent meetings with Italy – all friendlies – with four wins, including last year's 5-1 victory. But though statistics may be on the defending champions' side, Sarina said: "I think it would be really disrespectful to Italy to think that we're the favourites. "Complacency is just the biggest mistake you could make. We've seen how they've played. I don't think there's anything that we could think that we might be the favourite, but we have to be at our very, very best to win the game."
Metro
4 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Bronze a warrior but hopefully semi-final will be less of a battle
Exciting, exhausting, entertaining. Whatever you thought of that Sweden quarter-final and who deserved to win it, there is no question it was a thriller. England did enough, got into the semi-finals and in years to come, if you win the European Championship people will not look at how you got through to the last four. Sarina Wiegman had a plan – she always has a plan – and it worked. But in tournament football, it's all about achieving the end result, even in a match as bonkers as that. You know Sarina has a plan for every scenario and of course her introduction of Chloe Kelly now looks like a masterstroke following two assists in three minutes after coming on. Putting a right-footer like Chloe on the left wing worked wonders. But let's not overlook the part played by Beth Mead assisting fellow substitute Michelle Agyemang. They were just sensational and gave the Swedish a totally different problem. Agyemang's strength and poise in the dying minutes to claw England level was just brilliant. For me, the real star was Lucy Bronze. Now aged 33, she gets people questioning her durability and speed. She is a winner and has looked after herself brilliantly and brought some much-needed leadership, experience and know-how to get her team out of a hole. First, she made it 2-1 with a great header from Kelly's cross, then she scored the key penalty that ended up winning the shoot-out for us. To take that spot-kick when all around her were missing theirs and score like she did (at 102 kilometres-per-hour, or 63mph, by the way) was simply fantastic execution. Hannah Hampton was superb in goal but Lucy was immense. There should be a statue of her outside Wembley. It had looked unrealistic to get back into the tie until her goal, which reignited English hope, and there's no way anyone should be left questioning Lucy now. I said on commentary at the time that penalty was her Stuart Pearce Euro 96 moment. Let's be honest, they were not great penalties in general and the shoot-out showed how drained the players were. Of course, it was great as a goalkeeper to see save after save! I don't know how Sweden organised their takers but keeper Jennifer Falk took criticism for her miss in the first five. I'd say she would have been brimming with confidence to take one after saving three from England. Maybe there was a bit of adrenaline coursing through her at that stage and that got the better of her. However, keepers are great outfielders too these days so I have no issue with her taking such an important penalty. The big question for the Lionesses ahead of the next round will be over personnel. There were plenty of walking wounded after Thursday night, not least captain Leah Williamson. So we must see who is ready to face Italy and it could be that there are enforced changes to the XI. England do have the squad depth to cope with that, as the Sweden match demonstrated. Against Italy tomorrow, they face a different test. I can't see Sarina going out to play any differently but we have to beware the Italian wing-backs, who are really, really good and bomb up and down the flanks relentlessly. Aged 35 and with 122 caps, this is the biggest moment in striker and captain Cristiana Girelli's career and her team have never made it to this stage before. One game away from the final, they will be hoping that this is their time. More Trending But now we are in the last four, this is an opportunity that needs to be embraced by England. I never stopped believing – even when we were 2-0 down at half-time against the Swedes with a mountain to climb. If you'd told me at the beginning of the tournament we would be playing Italy in the semi-finals, I'd have taken it but the Lionesses have had one war with Sweden and they will not want another battle of that kind. Rachel Brown-Finnis is working on the BBC's coverage of Euro 2025 MORE: Where hosepipe ban for millions comes into place today MORE: 'Saie's new setting powder is the 2-in-1 summer staple to set my make-up and add a glow' MORE: Should the voting age be lowered or raised and what about a top limit?
Borneo Post
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Borneo Post
Wonder Women bowlers still showing the way in Novice League
(From left): Azean, Sarina and Rodziah give the thumbs-up. KUCHING (July 16) Wonder Women continued to dominate in the fifth week of the 16-team Novice League at Megalanes Sarawak, Batu Kawa, holding firm to the top spot for the third week in a row. Rabina Johari, Azean Arbi and Rodziah Berawi did lose narrowly 11.5-8.5 to The Masterpiece but managed to net 27.26 Peterson points, keeping them comfortably in first place with a cumulative total of 176.71. Rabina shone brightly on the lanes and currently leads the Best Senior (Handicap) category with 690 pinfalls. Teammate Sarina also made waves, leading in both the Individual High Series (Handicap) and Best Female (Scratch) categories with 722 and 710 pinfalls respectively. Meanwhile, former league leaders Strike Force suffered a major setback losing 3-17 to Pinhead and sliding down to fourth in the standings. Pinhead's momentum was fueled by the performance of Adzahari Baini who secured top spot in the Individual High Game (Scratch) category with 233 pinfalls. His teammate Chung Chun Fook also made his mark by placing second in the Individual High Game (Handicap) category with 229. The Masterpiece have surged into second place with 159.88 points, earning 30.27 points from the match against Wonder Women. PTBPNS 1 followed closely behind in third, racking up 36.15 Points for a total of 157.51. They are also in second place in the Team High Series (Scratch) category, scoring 1,963 pinfalls. Current team standings from fifth to 16th are Rollin' Strike, Ladies Bowlers III, Pinhead, D'Cops, SDO Mixed, Zero Strike, Ahjin Guild, PTBPNS 2, SSC X MYSED, Panthers Bowlers, Split Bowlers and Nyo Bowlers KRMK. 16-team Novice League Wonder Women
The Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Aggie Beever-Jones ready to shine for England at Euro 2025
CHELSEA forward Aggie Beever-Jones is one of a group of talented youngsters on England's team at Euro 2025, after putting on a dazzling display at Wembley in May with a first-half hat-trick against Portugal in the Nations League. But whether or not manager Sarina Wiegman calls her name on Sunday when England -- a team already boasting some of the best forwards in the game including Lauren James and Alessia Russo -- take on Wales in the reigning champions' final group game, Beever-Jones said all she can do is be ready. Beever-Jones, who turns 22 on July 27, the day of the Euro 2025 final, did not play in England's 1-0 loss to France and said Wiegman put a consolatory arm around her after the game. 'Me and Sarina had a conversation and ultimately I have to respect her decision,' Beever-Jones said. 'She did say it was a tough game and she looked obviously elsewhere to bring other people on. And I have to respect that. 'I know my strengths, and I know I've done it for two years coming off the bench at Chelsea and hopefully making an impact. And Sarina is well aware of that, and she knows that I'll be ready no matter what, whenever the time comes.' Beever-Jones made her international tournament debut as a late substitute in England's 4-0 thrashing of the Netherlands on Wednesday, and would undoubtedly love to be on the pitch against Wales on Sunday when a victory would secure passage to the quarter-finals. The striker, who was Chelsea's leading scorer with nine goals this past season to help them to win a sixth consecutive Women's Super League title, was in the crowd at Wembley to watch England win the Euro 2022 title. Asked whether she has had any pinch-me moments in her major tournament debut, she talked about a photograph in England's base camp that is a compilation of all the women when they were young girls in their various grassroots club kits. 'Reminds me where I came from and the progress I've made, and that ultimately you just have to play to make that girl happy,' she said. 'Because obviously I'd be delighted if someone told that girl that she'd be here right now doing this. 'So I'd definitely say it is very surreal, and I'm just trying to take in as much as I can and take it day by day.' - Reuters
South Wales Argus
12-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Beever-Jones' maturity helping her embrace first major tournament
She is speaking to the travelling English media at her first major tournament but demonstrates a maturity beyond her 21 years. It is a quality Beever-Jones notes in herself, having had to grow up quickly to pursue a career in football. 'Off the pitch I've had to move away from home quite young and learn about council tax and all that stuff,' she reflected. 'Just growing up, I'm quite mature for my age and that reflects onto the pitch now just being able to feel comfortable. 'Sarina [Wiegman] has said I always look so relaxed on the ball and to never take that away. 'That's ultimately when I do play my best football, when I'm relaxed and around so many brilliant players.' But despite the calm, the experience feels just as surreal as it might look for Beever-Jones. The hillside setting of the five-star hotel, with sweeping driveways and views over Zurich's old town, proves a far departure from the more familiar environs of cramped press rooms at Chelsea's Kingsmeadow where the nearest hill would provide a view of Kingston Lidl, at best. 'It's weird, although I'm doing this right now, it still doesn't even really feel like it's happening,' said Beever-Jones. 'Even when we landed and we came to this hotel I was just in awe. The guys have done a brilliant job of making it feel like a home away from home and we're so aware that we're in one of the best hotels. 'The most surreal thing is probably coming on the other day and making my international tournament debut.' Beever-Jones has experienced a rapid rise to prominence over the past two seasons. After successive loan spells at Bristol City and Everton she returned to Chelsea for a breakthrough season that led to Emma Hayes hailing her a future England legend. As Chelsea won the Women's Super League for a fifth consecutive season, Beever-Jones's made her mark with 11 goals in 17 appearances in the league, most of them off the bench. The 2024/25 season required adjustment as her league starts doubled along with her minutes, but she delivered nine goals in 22 league matches as Chelsea went undefeated domestically. Those two seasons led to an England debut in July 2024, followed by her first international goal in April 2025. And, befitting the pace of her rise domestically, she went onto score her first senior hat-trick at Wembley in a 6-0 Nations League victory over Portugal in May, to all but book her seat on the plane to Switzerland. 'The times I have played for England I've absolutely loved it. Whenever you play for England, you put the shirt on and you have immense pride. I never take it for granted,' she said. 'Scoring the hat-trick at Wembley is a day that I'll never forget. Even that feels surreal to me. I thought I was in some dream. 'But there's obviously expectation whenever you play for England and that's what makes us one of the best teams in the world. There's always that expectation that we have to do well.' When it came to Euro 2025, expectation on Beever-Jones abounded. Her role leading up to the tournament had been as one of Wiegman's 'finishers', coming on to inject energy in the closing stages or to change the game where needed. But when England faced the very scenario of a two-goal deficit with minutes to go in their opening match against France, Wiegman instead turned to 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang. 'Me and Sarina had a conversation and obviously I have to respect her decision. She said it was a tough game, and she looked elsewhere, and I have to respect that,' said Beever-Jones. 'For myself, I know my strengths and I know I've done it coming off the bench for two years at Chelsea and making an impact. 'Sarina is well aware of that, and I respected that decision. She knows I'll be ready no matter what whenever the time comes.' But Beever-Jones did get that moment of surrealism in England's 4-0 win against the Netherlands, coming on for her major tournament debut in the 84th minute. 'Seeing all my family with my England shirts on, I just know, although it's me making my debut, so many people have helped me get to this point,' she reflected. 'It's nice to have my family here and have some messages from people who've really helped me along the way. It reminds you of where you've come from.' Pushing again for Sunday 👊 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 10, 2025 With that first bit of action under her belt and a match against Wales on the horizon, no doubt there will be hopes of more minutes, and even a goal. The expectation remains sky high after all. She follows in the footsteps of a precedent set by Alessia Russo and Ella Toone - Wiegman's 'finishers' at Euro 2022. 'Everyone knows the impact Tooney and Less had last Euros and there's a lot of noise going on around who's going to be the next two to do that,' said Beever-Jones. 'For us, we're just happy that we have such a world-class squad of 11 players who start and people who can come on and create that impact regardless of who it is. 'You have starters, you have finishers and equally you have people who might not set foot on the pitch, but everyone is equally as important as one another and that's what brings this team together.' For now, with the calmness and maturity that comes as second nature, she is content to take it all in and reap the lessons she can learn from the more experienced Lionesses. 'They gave us a journal. I've seen people using it however they wish but I'm quite big on writing stuff down, so I've got a little memory book,' explained Beever-Jones. 'I'm quite into photography so I take pictures. I've got a book full of memories and the little details you might forget. 'Every day we go to wellness and one of the physios writes a quote on the wall and I always write it down and try and find the joy in the little things. 'It can get a bit repetitive doing the same thing every day so it's nice to find the little things and take a step back and appreciate everything else that's going on.' In a setting like Zurich, it is unsurprising Beever-Jones has turned to photography as a way to take it all in. And while the gallery of her career may already tell a story of silverware and success, with her 22nd birthday falling on the day of the final in Basel, she might be hoping for more than a polaroid to commemorate that particular milestone. For now, though, Beever-Jones remains focused on the temporal present with the task of reaching the Euros knockouts the next step on her ladder to the top. 'My milestone for this year was getting selected for Euros and obviously I feel extremely lucky to be here now and within that it's just taking it as it comes,' she said. 'My milestones are just to keep going, smiling, keep playing good football and enjoying it.'
