England manager Sarina Wiegman revealed her emotional journey as she fulfilled her late sister’s wish for England to win the European Championship in 2022.
Football came home as England defeated Germany in a thrilling final at a sold-out Wembley, with Chloe Kelly scoring the winning goal in extra time. While the entire nation celebrated the victory, it meant much more to Wiegman, as it was a promise she had made to her late sister.
In an interview with The Times, the Dutch manager shared the poignant story of her sister’s last wish for her to win the European Championship with England.
Diana, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, passed away just three weeks before Euro 2022. After England’s victory over Germany in the tournament, Wiegman kissed a bracelet that had once belonged to her sister, symbolizing the profound impact of her loss.
Wiegman’s sister promised to watch over her from the beyond
“(It was) the saddest moment of my life – she was my best friend. In the Euros you park it. And afterwards, then you get hit a little bit,” she said.
“She had told me to seize this prize, and I had just done so. I was still calm, not emotional. The only thing I felt was a deep connection with my sister. She said ‘I’ll sit by the post or on the crossbar. I will help a little bit.’ So she was there all the time. It’s still very fresh. The missing part is just a big gap now.
(It was) the saddest moment of my life – she was my best friend. In the Euros you park it. And afterwards, then you get hit a little bit,
“We celebrated life every day. It was so quick, but it was very special too. We had moments to treasure together.”
Sarina Wiegman‘s success with England, which includes reaching a World Cup final, has led to conversations about her potential as the future head coach of the men’s national team. While she acknowledges that women are certainly capable of coaching men, she hasn’t set a specific goal to step into Gareth Southgate’s role.
“Would women be capable of coaching men? Of course. But I don’t have a goal that I want to coach men,” she said.
“(As England men’s boss) every step you take, you’re being watched and you’re being valued and judged, and I sometimes wonder: how much fun is that?”
