Sarina Wiegman has characterized the connections between female football players and their coaches as problematic, unsuitable, and hazardous.
The manager of the England team responded to recent developments at the WSL team Leicester. The head coach, Willie Kirk, is being investigated internally following an allegation of a romantic involvement with a player.
Wiegman expressed concern over the nature of player-coach relationships, noting that they can be highly inappropriate and unhealthy. She believes that in a professional setting focused on performance, maintaining a safe environment is crucial and inappropriate behavior should not be tolerated. While unexpected issues may arise, it is important for everyone to be aware of this issue and strive for appropriate interactions.
Wiegman’s demeanour brightened as she discussed Leah Williamson’s return to her squad for the Euro 2025 qualifiers against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.
The captain and top central defender for England has been absent from playing for her team due to an injury to her knee ligament. She recently returned to the field for Arsenal in January but had to pull out of the England squad during last month’s friendly matches against Austria and Italy due to a small hamstring injury.
Wiegman expressed her excitement to collaborate with her again. Their team is scheduled to play against Sweden at Wembley on Friday, April 5th and Ireland in Dublin on the following Tuesday. Wiegman is pleased with her recovery progress and how she has been getting back into the flow of things. Although she hasn’t played many games yet, she is gradually getting there. The squad as a whole looks promising.
However, Wiegman stated that she would rather the Arsenal players from England’s team, namely Williamson, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo, and Lotte Wubben-Moy, not have to embark on a rushed journey to Australia for a friendly match against the A-League all stars team on May 24th. This trip comes less than a week after the conclusion of the WSL season and only seven days before back-to-back international games against France, proving to be a challenge for both the players and the team. Wiegman expressed her surprise at the timing of this trip, considering the already congested schedules.
“I believe that given their already busy schedule, it would not be beneficial for them to travel to the opposite side of the globe. The time frame is very short, leaving little room for adjustment. After playing one game there, our England players will return to play two games against France. It may be difficult for them to perform at their best given these circumstances.”
“Weibman would prefer if Arsenal did not go on their Australian trip, as the Lionesses must be in the top two of their Euro 2025 qualifying group to move on to next year’s tournament in Switzerland and avoid playoffs.”
Ideally, she would have preferred to team up Williamson and Millie Bright in the central defense next week. However, Bright, who is 30 years old, is still recovering from a knee injury that has kept her out of action for several months.
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Wiegman expressed some disappointment, stating that they were all hoping for a faster recovery. However, the player is taking the necessary precautions to avoid setbacks, and requires additional work in the gym to strengthen their overall condition.
Despite Manchester United’s Millie Turner maintaining her position as centre-back, her club teammate and fellow defender Maya Le Tissier has been controversially removed from the 23-person roster. Coach Wiegmam confirmed, “I have spoken with her and we have discussed the defensive tactics.”
United’s top scorer, Nikita Parris, who has made 71 appearances for her country, has yet to convince the England manager to give her a chance to revive her previously successful career with the national team. Despite scoring 16 goals in 23 games this season, Parris remains determined to earn a spot back on the international squad.
Wiegman was happier to talk about the Manchester City midfielder Jess Park, who retains her place after scoring twice against Manchester United in a 3-1 win last Saturday. “She plays with a lot of joy and freedom. The competition for that position is really high, which is good for the team.”
Source: theguardian.com
