19 August 2023 , 21:00
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Former Holland boss Gus Hiddink insists that talk of Sarina Wiegman becoming manager of England’s men’s team is being driven by her talent rather than political correctness.
Wiegman will lead the Lionesses into Sunday's World Cup Final with FA chief executive Mark Bullingham insisting that the 53-year-old Dutchwoman is in the frame to one day succeed Gareth Southgate.
And Hiddink, the vastly-experienced 76-year-old who enjoyed great success during a managerial career that took him to clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia, believes that Wiegman’s reputation as one of football’s top coaching talents makes her a natural to become the first woman to cross football’s gender divide.
Hiddink said: “Why wouldn't it be possible? It would certainly fit in with how male and female relationships are these days - but it would also have to be based on quality. And for that alone, Sarina Wiegman would be a very suitable candidate. She delivers quality.
“She has proven that first with the Netherlands and now with England. Such achievements are no coincidence. I think the quality principle should always lead. So you don't appoint a woman because you want a woman in that position.
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“But it has been a beautiful job by Sarina Wiegman. I know her personally. I met her a couple of times in my league management days and talked to her. And what struck me was that she is someone whose feet are firmly on the ground. She is a very strong personality. I think it is very clever how she has developed in the coaching profession.
“I have seen a fair bit of England in this World Cup and what I like about them is that they not only try to play football but that they do so with a certain intensity. I do see Sarina Wiegman's hand in that.”
Hiddink isn’t the only influential Dutch coach to be hugely impressed with Wiegman's credentials. Current Holland boss Ronald Koeman, former manager Bert van Marwijk and Feyenoord’s Eredivisie-winning coach Arne Slot have also paid tribute.
Wiegman, who won 99 caps for Holland as a player, led her country to success at the 2017 Euros and guided them to the World Cup final two years later only to lose to the United States.
She was appointed England manager in 2021 - and coached the Lionesses to a history-making triumph at Euro 2022 as well as the 2023 women’s Finalissima title.
Koeman, the former Barcelona, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Everton and Southampton manager who took over as Holland boss after the winter World Cup, said: “The fact that Sarina has managed to make England European champions and reached another World Cup final gives her much more credit.
“What she did with the Netherlands was wonderful. But when you are in charge of England, you are going to get worldwide recognition. What makes Sarina extra special compared to other coaches who have reached World Cup and European finals is that she is in a final for the fourth time with two different countries. Twice she has been a European champion. First with the Dutch, then with the English. That's really an achievement.’”
Koeman believes Wiegman adheres to the football principles drawn up by Dutch legend Johan Cruyff and now followed steadfastly by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
He added: “Sarina is part of the Dutch school, but she adapts it in her own way and knows what she wants for her players. We used to be colleagues at the Dutch Federation and we used to spar about top-level football at the time.
“Sarina had really good ideas and I saw with my own eyes what she meant for the development of women’s football. Her whole way of thinking, training and playing is impressive.”
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Van Marwijk, who guided Holland to the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa, feels Wiegman faces extra pressure to beat Spain in the final in Sydney because she is now regarded as the world’s premier female coach.
He said: “The whole world is looking over her shoulder. A final like this is very special, but Sarina stands out in women's football in a great way. She has made hundreds of thousands of young girls and women wildly enthusiastic about playing football, she has lifted the English national women's team to the very highest level and has the entire English public behind her for the final.”
Slot, the 44-year-old who rejected the chance to become Tottenham's manager earlier this summer after guiding Feyenoord to their first Dutch title in six years, added: “The words (by Bullingham) are incredible.
“It means that Sarina is not only successful but that people who see her up close are also impressed by her work. That she is now in a World Cup final again and also with a different country than last time, is proof that she has mastered many parts of the coaching profession very well.”