Following the success of England’s Lionesses at this years UEFA European Football Championships, leading football journalist Asif Burhan wrote a 4 page feature on wonder coach Sarina Wiegman.
Within the article, Asif reveals her development in football, as both a player and coach.
Interviewing FCN Founder Vicky Huyton for the article, Asif asked Vicky why she thinks so many of the women’s international football Championships are won by women coaches:
“As a female coach in performance sport, you can’t be mediocre. There are so few opportunities – the pathway to becoming an elite coach is not the same as the pathway for male coaches. If you’re a woman that has reached the level Sarina has, you absolutely have to be the best of the best.”
The article goes on:
“This [International] success has not yet been replicated in the European Women’s club game, where Lyon’s Sonia Bompastor last season became the first female coach to lead a team to victory in the Women’s Champions League in 13 years.
She was also the only female coach to make the knockout stages. Huyton belives that unlike the men’s game, this is due to the women’s game being led by international football.
‘Women’s football historically has focused on the success of the national teams so the development of the women’s national teams is possible further ahead than the domestic leagues.’