MX23RW : Wednesday, December 25 16:51:28| >> :600:239545:239545:

England boss Sarina Wiegman against proposals to host World Cups every two years

England boss Sarina Wiegman against proposals to host World Cups every two years
© Reuters
The 51-year-old singled out the welfare of the players as the main reason she would be against FIFA's plans.

England boss Sarina Wiegman is against proposals to host World Cups every two years as she vowed to take the Lionesses to the next level.

Wiegman was appointed as England manager last year but only named her first squad last week as she prepares for World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and Luxembourg.

If she can guide them to the tournament it will take place in Australia and New Zealand in the summer of 2023.

The format of the competition could soon change, however, as FIFA is holding a feasibility study into shortening the gap between men's and women's World Cups from four to two years.

Wiegman joined the England set-up following a successful stint as Holland boss which saw her land the 2017 Women's Euros and finish runners-up in the 2019 World Cup.

The 51-year-old singled out the welfare of the players as the main reason she would be against FIFA's plans.

"I think in Europe we have a very good competition," she said.

"So the Euros are great, the World Cup is great, the Olympics are great so that is three tournaments. I think if you have a World Cup every two years that is too much for the players at the moment so I wouldn't be cheering for it right now.

"It is too many tournaments, for Europe it is good (at the moment), the development in Europe for women's football is ahead of most other continents.

Sarina Wiegman is unveiled as England boss
Sarina Wiegman was unveiled as England boss on Thursday (Adam Davy/PA)

"So for Europe it is not necessary, it is about visibility but I also think we need to take care of the well-being of the players and sometimes they need a rest.

"Of course because of Covid we have five tournaments in a row, which is enough. At big tournaments you want the best players on the pitch.

"If you look now at the competitions in England there are so many games, Champions League, international players and you play for your club team – you play so many games because you are one of the best, you are a game-changer so when can you have a rest, we should take care of the welfare of the players.

"You don't want two tournaments (men and women's) at the same time because people are going to have to choose."

While Wiegman was winning the 2017 Euros as Holland boss, England made it to the semi-finals, having lost the final to Germany eight years earlier.

Wiegman's test now is to take England a step further and she believes she is the right woman to move them there.

"It's the hardest step, but we're very ambitious too and, in this environment, you want challenges," she added.

"Of course I've come here to come to the next level. I'm really enjoying that, it's really challenging. First of all, with the staff, we will have to facilitate [things] so the players can shine.

"What triggered me the most was being able to work with some of the best in the world. With one of the biggest federations in the world. With the growth of the game."

ID:462958:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5810:
Written by
P A

Click here for more stories about Sarina Wiegman

Click here for more stories about England

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Netherlands Women head coach Sarina Wiegman pictured in July 2019
Read Next:
New England coach Sarina Wiegman will boost the WSL title race - Karen Carney
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
Read more about Sarina Wiegman Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!