Having parted ways with head coach, Arjen van der Laan at the end of the year, the Netherlands have named Sarina Wiegman as his replacement.

Deputy to Reijners 

Remembered by fans as the first Dutch footballer to reach 100 caps for her country, Wiegman is no stranger to the national team either on the pitch or in the dug-out. Having held the role of assistant coach to the team since August of 2014, Wiegman worked alongside Roger Reijners as he took the team to their first World Cup in 2015.

After Reijners departed his post after the tournament Wiegman was put in place as the interim manager until van der Laan was named his successor. But with van der Laan lasting less than a year and a half, Wiegman was once again named as the interim coach before today, being announced as the one to take full charge.

With their third appearance at European Championships on the horizon, all eyes will be on Wiegman as she’s tasked with getting the team up to their best for the impending tournament they’ll be hosting. A number of high profile retirements over the past year will make the job a harder one, having already lost Renée Slegers to an ACL injury during their last friendly of 2016, the job seems to be a thankless one.

Positivity all around

KVNB technical director Hans van Breukelen was happy with the appointment saying, “[Wiegman] is the right coach” for the team, calling on her “extensive experience” with the “know-how” as well as the “enthusiasm” to lead the team forward in the way the federation want.

Ready and raring to go, Wiegman is looking forward to what lies ahead, happy with two and a half years of experience under her belt, she’s aware of how “talented and ambitious” the players are, everyone on board and aware of what needs to be done to succeed at the Euros.

In addition to Wiegman’s full installation, Foppe de Haan has been promoted to assistant coach from his role as consultant – which he’s held since last summer.

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About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews