Sarina Wiegman ‘very worried’ about Lionesses’ lack of rest

Sarina Wiegman says she is “very worried” about how little rest her players have had, as they prepare to return to action for the first time since the Women’s World Cup.

The England head coach says some of the Lionesses squad only had six days off after the August 20 loss in the final against Spain before starting pre-season training, and wants “urgent” global conversations about the women’s international calendar.

Arsenal, along with many other European sides, were in action in Women’s Champions League qualifying on September 6, 17 days after Sydney’s showpiece. England started their warm-up camp in preparation for the World Cup on June 19, just 16 days after last season’s Women’s Champions League final.

“I am very worried,” Wiegman said, after announcing her squad for September’s Nations League games against Scotland and Holland. “I was worried before the World Cup and we knew it was a short turnaround. We really have to get connected with Fifa and Uefa to make that better. The game is growing which is really good but it has to grow together and players need some rest too.

“Some players only had six days off and that’s not good for them. The urgency to solve this and make it better is really, really high. It’s so intense. Players are not robots.”

During her side’s build-up to the World Cup, her players made headlines by publicly criticising the Football Association over a lack of a deal over performance-related bonuses and commercial pay structures.

The Lionesses said in a statement on the eve of the tournament Down Under that they would park those negotiations until after the World Cup, and it is now expected that those conversations with the FA will resume in camp next week. Telegraph Sport revealed on 19 July that the FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham had agreed to meet with the Lionesses for talks.

Wiegman, who is not part of those discussions between the players and the FA as head coach, said she is “very hopeful” of a positive outcome, adding: “The players and the FA didn’t agree before the tournament, they agreed to disagree. They will start conversations after the World Cup. I’m positive it will have a good outcome.

“I am very hopeful, I am very positive. The environment has been very good, it just needs more time to get some solutions, the FA and the players are in good communication.”

Many of the headlines since the World Cup have been dominated by the actions of now-former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales, and on August 31 Wiegman used her acceptance speech for winning Uefa Women’s Coach of the Year to dedicate the award to Spain’s players as and hit out over the scandal.

At Wednesday’s Wembley press conference, asked about Rubiales, she said: “What I want to talk about now is that we should celebrate football and the Spanish players who won the World Cup. We haven’t been talking about that at all.

“We have seen what is going on in the news and we should leave the right people to deal with that. Players need to be listened to and we need to move forward. The women’s game has improved but there’s still a long way to go. We need to make the world better for players.”

The Dutchwoman, who has reached four consecutive major international tournament final for a combination of Holland and England, has just under two years on her contract with Lionesses, but wouldn’t be drawn on whether she’s likely to extend beyond 2025’s Euros, saying simply: “I have a contract until 2025. I’m happy here and I think the FA and the players are happy that I am here. We are working really good [well] together and hopefully we keep doing that. Yes we have conversations, but we always do, we did after the Euros, and we do now but it has been such a short turnaround.”

Wiegman’s England are now embarking on two simultaneous campaigns: aiming to qualify for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB, while vying for the inaugural Women’s Nations League title. England face Holland in Utrecht on September 26. Belgium are the fourth side in this Nations League group, and each side will face the others both home and away this autumn. Only the eventual group winners will go through to February’s Nations League semi-finals, and only the two finalists will qualify for the Olympics alongside hosts France.

Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh misses out on the England squad with an injury, along with Tottenham striker Bethany England (hip), while Maya Le Tissier, Lucy Staniforth and Jess Park all come into what is now a 24-player squad. Those are the only changes from the World Cup squad of 23.

Wiegman explained that Walsh’s injury is not serious, adding: “Keira [Walsh] has a small calf injury. It’s not a major thing. Bethany England [will be] is a little bit longer.”