Meeting England manager Sarina Wiegman

Sarina Wiegman is about to lead a team to a third consecutive major tournament final. She won the EURO at home with the Netherlands in 2017 before reaching the World Cup final in 2019, and now she has guided the England team to their second EURO final, where they take on Germany at Wembley this Sunday.

Wiegman has received much credit for his meticulous preparations, brilliant tactics and instilling in his team composure and a winning mentality.

But how did Wiegman get here? What have been his influences? And what about his coaching staff and how do his strengths complement yours?

UEFA.com sat down with the England manager to find out.

Last minute of the England – Germany!

As a player, what kind of coaches did you like?

I liked playing with coaches who wanted to play football, who communicated and had a positive approach.

Do you think that thanks to that experience you have freed yourself from certain corsets, because we see a lot of freedom in this England team?

Well, we are talking about tasks, we are talking about our style of play; and within our style of play, we have, of course, different positions; and within those positions, you have a job. And when you do your job really well, then you become responsible; and hopefully they all feel [entonces] its free to make your game.

Because, in the end, in football, the ball is always in motion, in play. So you have to make your own decisions. It is such a complex sport; It looks easy when it goes well, but it is actually quite a complex sport. And what we want is for the players to make their own decisions within the principles that we have. So it’s really nice to see the players take responsibility and take the freedom to make their decisions.

What have been your most important influences?

Many people from football, but also from other sports. I talk to many coaches, colleagues. I also talk to psychologists because I think it’s also about how people behave and how they collaborate with each other. It interests me a lot, I like to learn more about it every day.

What are the qualities you look for in people and in your players?

I think everything starts with respect. Football unites us, so having qualities, being a very good footballer [permite] be called up to the England team. But it all starts with respecting and connecting with others, and, of course, having a plan. [tanto] on and off the field, and how we come together in all those moments.