Wiegman on 'hating rules' and adapting for success

ZURICH -- England coach Sarina Wiegman has offered an insight into the methods which have seen her reach four-major tournament finals by saying she hates rules and still finds it tough to tell players bad news.

At the England team base in Zurich on Wednesday, Wiegman sat down with a small group of media to talk through her hopes for the next four weeks at Euro 2025, her love of British cuisine, but also the changes she made when she took the job in September 2021 and how she's evolved as a coach.

Before taking the job, she led the Netherlands to the trophy at Euro 2017 and the final of the World Cup in 2019. Once with England, she led them to victory at Euro 2022 and to the final of the 2023 World Cup.

That remarkable success saw Wiegman sign a contract with the English Football Association (FA) through to 2027 and ahead of England's Euro 2025 opener with France on Saturday, she is plotting further success in Switzerland.

But through all the success, the players have noticed a change in her approach. "She evolves," defender Lucy Bronze said. "The Sarina that first came into England is different to now."

When reflecting on where she may have changed, Wiegman said: "I've become a little bit older too, with more experience in football, life, in England and with the team, although the team is a bit in transition of course, you get to know so much more about the team, the FA, English football.

"I think it just becomes more natural and so you have set the tone at the beginning how you want things. And then you hope that things become organically, and everyone knows how it works. When new players and new staff members come in, they just straight away come into the environment and everyone knows how it is and grow and adapt to it naturally."

Bronze also said: "When she came in with a few more rules set in place, she was the manager and the boss and we all respected Sarina for that reason. Over the years, her getting to know the team and the dynamics of each player, gaining trust with players, you can see how she's changed a little bit. It's a good thing she's adapted with the way that the team has adapted."

Wiegman said one of the first things she told the players to do was remove jewellery when they were training as the added weight affected how they monitored their physical activity. At this point Wiegman paused to laugh at Bronze's comments about how rules may have changed. "Oh, I don't see that's a negative, it's just funny that we talk about rules because I hate rules!"

"On and off the pitch the game has changed so much that I have to adapt too. People sometimes say I don't change. I think my values won't change but I have to adapt to new situations and figure out OK what's best for the team now to help them to be at their best as a team and as individuals too."

But one aspect of the job remains tough, and that's telling players bad news. Wiegman's always said one of the hardest roles she has is to tell hopeful players they're not playing, or they haven't made a squad. In doing that, she has to park maternal instincts and look at the call analytically and without any emotion.

"On being direct, when I have conversations with players, I think it's really important to have clarity," Wiegman said. "Clarity is 'OK, this is where I am, this is my job and this, this, this.' I try to do that before a game.

"What I try to do is give them as much information as possible. The players call that direct but I think, do not confuse that with being blunt. I am not blunt - well, I hope not. I am trying to be honest and clear about things to give them context.

"For me, I am actually very caring and that's often not very helpful in this job. I want to take care of people but I have a job where I have to make hard decisions. Then I, as a former player and maybe as a mum, I'm trying to not put myself in their shoes and think 'oh, they must feel horrible' because I have to shut that out for that moment," Wiegman added.

"That is one of the most difficult parts of the job because, yeah, it's not the nicest part but I have to give that clarity -- because that is my job."