FA chief makes clear statement on Sarina Wiegman future as Lionesses prepare for Euros

Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham is "delighted" to have Sarina Wiegman on board until 2027 despite changes elsewhere and can't foresee a scenario where she'd leave her role early. The Lionesses manager is gearing up to lead her team out at the Euros despite the announcement in May that her long-time assistant Arjan Veurink will leave to take charge of the Netherlands' women's team after this summer's Euros.

Wiegman took over as England boss in 2021, having previously led her native Netherlands team to Euros glory. By repeating the feat with the Lionesses at Euro 2022, she became the first ever manager in the men's or women's game to win the Euros or World Cup with two national teams.

It's not just Veurink's decision which has impacted England's preparations. Mary Earps and Fran Kirby have retired from internationals and Millie Bright has ruled herself out of contention for the tournament, leaving Wiegman without three stars of that 2022 triumph, but Bullingham is bullish about keeping the boss on board.

England have been handed a tough draw, with France, the Netherlands and Wales making up the group. Even an early exit for the holders is unlikely to impact the future of their manager, though.

"We're delighted that Sarina's in place until 2027 and I don't see any scenario changing that," Bullingham said ahead of England's final warm-up game. They face Jamaica in Leicester on Sunday, with the Euros opener against France following on July 5.

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“We think she’s a fantastic coach and has done a brilliant job for us," Bullingham told the media . "We are delighted she’s with us until at least 2027. We haven’t looked beyond that timescale yet or engaged in those conversations.

"We feel we have us locked into this tournament and the next and that feels very good for us. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have a conversation at some point in the future but it’s too early for that really.”

Wiegman signed her own contract extension in 2024, and Bullingham is not worried about an early departure, but believes if the unlikely happens then the FA will be ready. “Generally we have a succession plan for every senior role within our organisation and I think that’s really normal practice but we’re very confident that Sarina is coming through with us until the 2027 women’s World Cup and we’re delighted that’s the case," he said.

On the subject of Veurink, Bullingham confirmed the FA had received a small compensation fee but maintained that wasn't a factor in allowing him to leave. "It was a difficult circumstance in a way because it was his dream job and he has a young family in the Netherlands," he said.

"I’m sure it’s the only opportunity he would have been tempted by and it ticked a lot of his boxes on a personal level. Obviously it’s his home country and there was the opportunity to live at home with his family again.

"We saw it as a unique set of circumstances and given everything he had done for us, we were able to give him that opportunity to leave his contract early. We feel we have found some really good replacements.”

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