The FA chief executive has said a woman could replace Gareth Southgate as England’s next male manager.
Sarina Wiegman is set to become the first person to lead an English senior football team to a World Cup on foreign soil when her women’s side take on Spain on Sunday, ending a 57-year wait for the top prize of our national game.
FA chief Mark Bullingham said he would look to appoint ‘the best person for the job, when looking for a successor to Southgate, whose contract expires at the end of next year – whom he whether it is a man or a woman”.
Bullingham said: “He’s the best person for the job. If that best person is a woman, why not? You are scanning the pool for work at this time. Do I think there’s a really strong and diverse pool of men and women for any big national job? No. I think the talent pool is small for both of them, actually. But I don’t like the mindset that it has to be a man.
Bullingham, who has said he will seek a contract extension linking Wiegman and his England coaching staff beyond his current contract which runs until 2025, has not ruled out the idea that she could succeed Southgate. But he said he didn’t like “the language”, implying that the men’s work was a step up.
FA CEO Mark Bullingham says Gareth Southgate’s successor with England could be a woman
Southgate’s current contract as England men’s manager is set to expire in December 2024
He said: “I think it’s a little disrespectful to the Lionesses to throw him as a step forward.”
“We think Sarina is doing a great job and hope she continues to do so for a long time. Sarina could do whatever she wants in football.
While the idea of Wiegman managing the men is fascinating, given how she injected huge confidence into her team, turning them into champions of Europe and potentially now the world, the FA should realistically know that public opinion was ready for the first woman in men’s international football.
The far greater threat to Wiegman not to lead England beyond 2025 is a blow to her by the United States, following the departure of coach Vlatko Andonovski on Thursday.
Bullingham insisted the FA would adamantly reject any attempt by the United States to poach Wiegman, 53, who is on a salary of around £400,000 a year.
The FA CEO added that they would not accept any approach from the United States for Sarina Wiegman
When asked if he would reject a hand approach, he replied, “Yeah, 100 percent.” No price would be enough to lose her, he insisted.
“It’s not about the money,” he said. “We are very, very happy with her and we feel that she is happy. I think that’s the answer.
The FA are already planning to erect a statue to Wiegman and his team members – an idea raised by Courier Sport’s Chris Sutton in our new “Everything Starts” podcast on Monday.
An idea has been in the works for some time to erect a statue to Wiegman’s European Championship winning team at Wembley, with designs being considered which would include any number of players or all of them.
Bullingham said: “It’s something we’re looking at after the Euros.
“We have made progress on that and it would be right to have something to commemorate that success outside of Wembley.
‘It’s more the whole team (than Sarina). There are many steps you need to take – we managed to take the first step.
“You have to go through various clearances – we’ve been there. The next step is to work on the design.
Wiegman’s Lionesses reached their first World Cup final with victory over Australia
But as the countdown continued to the final – in which England will play in their light blue away kit with white socks – the FA and players were still at odds on Thursday night over the issue of bonuses linked to performance Wiegman stars should have. agreed before the World Cup.
The players had suspended negotiations with the FA and said they were “disappointed” that a solution had not been found.
Bullingham insisted there was not enough time before the tournament because FIFA agreed to the prizes so late. He said he was confident a solution would be found after the tournament.
But sources close to the players insisted the FA had not budged from its stance that there should be no bonuses on top of the prize money – and the moment had not come into play. game.
The source said: “The senior staff at the FA only got involved at the very last minute which didn’t help and made the players feel like they weren’t taken very seriously. “
