January 16, (THEWILL) – England women’s national team manager, Sarina Wiegman, has been awarded the 2023 Best FIFA Women’s Coach, claiming the honour for an impressive fourth time. The Dutch coach saw off competition from Barcelona’s Jonatan Giraldez and Chelsea’s Emma Hayes to take home the award at a ceremony in London on Monday.
Wiegman guided the Lionesses to their maiden World Cup final in August 2023, conceding just three goals before narrowly losing out to Spain in the final. She remained unbeaten for her first 30 matches in charge of England before that impressive run was ended by Australia in April.
The 53-year-old faced numerous selection issues throughout the tournament, with key midfielder Keira Walsh suffering a serious injury and forward Lauren James suspended for two matches. A number of England’s star players were also ruled out ahead of the World Cup, but Wiegman expertly navigated the adversity.
Upon receiving the award, an apologetic Wiegman said: “I am so sorry for winning this again. Thank you to the English FA for their support and to my staff and players for their hard work. Congratulations to Emma [Hayes] and Jonatan [Giraldez] on great years with Chelsea and Barcelona.
“Thank you to the non-visible coaches for inspiring young girls and boys, we at the senior level benefit from your work,” she said, highlighting the important work being done at the grassroots level.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
