Karl W Newton/SPP
Sarina Wiegman was appointed head coach of the Netherlands national team in 2017. Confidence was low after a run of poor form in friendlies, and she was charged with building up performance levels ahead of the European Championship that year, which the Netherlands hosted. Wiegman led the Dutch to victory in that tournament. Now, her challenge is to repeat that same feat with England.
There is optimism surrounding the English national team ahead of their home EUROs, which kick off on July 5. Since Wiegman took over last year, form has improved, and confidence has followed. The surge in excitement initiated by Wiegman’s appointment reached a crescendo in their latest friendly, a 5-1 thrashing over the Netherlands, her old team, last Friday.
Group previews: A | B | C | D
The positive feeling around the national team is not isolated. At club level, the Women’s Super League is increasingly competitive and well-backed, with record-breaking sponsorship deals agreed off the field and quality games played out on it. Top-class players from around the world are moving to ply their trade in England, the latest being Canada defender Kadeisha Buchanan, who recently left Lyon for Chelsea.
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