FA Sends Strong Warning as Top Suitors Circle England Women’s Boss

As influ­en­tial coach­es come and go, Sari­na Wieg­man’s stock con­tin­ues ris­ing after steer­ing Eng­land to a first ever Wom­en’s World Cup final. 

Her suc­cess with the Lioness­es and pre­vi­ous Dutch tri­umph has seen the 53-year-old tac­ti­cian estab­lish her­self as the pre­mier man­ag­er in the wom­en’s game. How­ev­er, FA chief Mark Bulling­ham is send­ing a mes­sage that rival nations look­ing to poach Wieg­man would be reject­ed, insist­ing “she is con­tract­ed through until 2025.”

The com­ments come amid major changes across the globe. New­ly vacant is the top job with four-time cham­pi­on Unit­ed States, after their shock round of 16 exit and worst show­ing to date in Aus­tralia. As the US begins its search, Wieg­man’s name is sure to arise giv­en her proven pedi­gree on foot­bal­l’s biggest stage. But Bulling­ham was emphat­ic the FA view Wieg­man as inte­gral to plans and will not enter­tain over­tures to prise her away.

While acknowl­edg­ing Wieg­man’s tal­ents could see her attract “any job,” Bulling­ham also addressed the pay dis­par­i­ty that may arise should a suit­ably lucra­tive offer come call­ing. As inter­est in the wom­en’s game grows, so too does debate around fair com­pen­sa­tion. But for now, the FA mes­sage is clear — under Wieg­man’s guid­ance, Eng­land’s future remains bright.