Sarina Wiegman has condemned player-coach relationships as “very inappropriate” and has spoken out for the first time since the issue hit headlines earlier this month.
Telegram Sports Following Jonathan Morgan’s sacking by Sheffield United in February, it was learned that there were at least 36 allegations of player-coach relationships across the top six divisions of the English women’s pyramid, after Morgan admitted to having previously had a relationship with a player. He manages Leicester City.
In March, Leicester suspended current manager Willie Kirk over allegations he was having an affair with a player. Kirk has not spoken out about this claim but has been contacted for a response. Since this news broke, administrators in the Women’s Super League have expressed concerns about the potential power imbalance of player-coach romance.
Speaking after naming England’s final squad for the Women’s Euro 2025 qualifiers against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland at St George’s Park in April, Wiegman said: “I think player-coach relationships are very inappropriate, I don’t think we should accept that, it’s healthy not.” .
“Our environment is a professional environment, it is all about performance and it must be safe at all times. “Some things may happen, but it’s inappropriate and we should all be aware of that.”
When asked whether he thought the Football Association should formally ban these relationships, Wiegman refrained from personally calling for an outright ban on player-coach relationships, but said: “I think it’s common sense, it’s really inappropriate and I think if we all take our responsibility, then that’s the way it is.” things don’t happen. But when it happens so often you need adjustments. I’ll leave it at that [a blanket ban] It’s up to others. We always talk about safe environments. This is one of those things that really needs to be safe. “Everyone is aware of the responsibility we bear,” he said.
Wiegman ‘surprised’ by Arsenal’s visit to Melbourne
Other aspects of player welfare came to the fore in Tuesday’s discussion; Wiegman was also asked about Arsenal’s reaction to the decision to play an exhibition match in Melbourne on May 24, a week before England host France at St James’ Park. Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall defended this fixture in his speech last Friday, explaining that many of his players could be left behind depending on player load and other factors.
“I was surprised by this trip,” Wiegman said. “For all the players who already have a complicated schedule, going to the other side of the world is not good for them. But I would say that it doesn’t just apply to the English players, it applies to every European player that goes into the qualifiers, it’s a difficult thing for them to accept and then perform at the highest level.
“We’ve already had talks with Arsenal about the summer and they’ve been very good talks, we’re on the same page. Of course, I’m in touch with Jonas all the time. Jonas and I talk about the players and these concerns. They haven’t announced who will go and who won’t, I think competitive games in general Everyone who plays, who goes to the other side of the world, I think it’s hard for the players to accept in this period and then we’ll go into the qualifiers.
Wiegman is also in talks with clubs about his proposed training program for the summer, as all European women’s national teams face the unusual situation of having their European Championship qualifiers played in mid-July, five weeks after playing them in early June, hampering players’ chances. taking an off-season break.
‘The clubs are not angry with us, we are not angry with the clubs’
Wiegman is planning a three-week training camp ahead of the July fixtures to ensure his players are not at risk of injury when they face Sweden and the Republic of Ireland in July. Clubs were reportedly “angry” at Wiegman’s planned programme, but responding the Dutchwoman said: “I’m surprised by that. They’re not angry. There’s no anger in the conversations we’ve had. They’re very good conversations, so I don’t know where it’s coming from to be honest. But the clubs are He is not angry with us, and we are not angry with the clubs.
“There are five weeks [in between our matches this summer] What we want to do is have some rest, we are still in contact with the clubs, so we are in the final stages. [of talks] It’s about clubs, so I can’t really say anything specific.
This summer’s global women’s international calendar has been widely condemned, particularly for its July window for competitive fixtures. In January, Arsenal and England defender Leah Williamson expressed serious concerns about the risk of injury to players, describing the situation as “unsustainable”.
Williamson returned to the England squad for the qualifiers against Sweden, which begin at Wembley on Friday a week. It was learned that nearly 50,000 tickets for the match have been sold since it went on sale last week.
Williamson was first selected for the friendly matches against Austria and Italy in February, but had to miss these matches due to injury. The only change to Wiegman’s original squad for February, compared to the April squad announced on Tuesday, is for Millie Turner to replace fellow Manchester United centre-back Maya Le Tissier. As expected, Chelsea’s defender Millie Bright will be out of action due to a knee problem.
England’s Euro 2025 qualifying squad
Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City).
Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Millie Turner (Manchester United), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy ( Arsenal).
Midfielders: Grace Clinton (on loan from Tottenham, Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona).
Forward: Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal).