Sarina Wiegman v Emma Hayes: Two of the world’s best coaches to face off
Hayes was known as a ruthless winner during her time at Chelsea, guiding them to five consecutive Women’s Super League titles between 2019 and 2024, being willing to make sacrifices and make tough decisions along the way.
The club’s 2022 DAZN documentary showed how she vowed during a team address that if players underperformed she would replace them and “find better players”.
Off the court, Hayes often moderates conversations about women’s health, covering issues ranging from menstrual cycles to player welfare.
Chelsea captain and England defender Millie Bright once described Hayes as “a mentor, a friend and a life coach”, adding that “it was more than just playing football under her”.
Wegman has a similar ruthlessness.
When she took over, she immediately appointed a new England captain, handing the armband to Leah Williamson and leaving Stephen Houghton out of the Euro 2022 squad.
But Wigman also had a pragmatist spirit, a meticulous planner who was described as a “workaholic” by veteran Dutch coach Foupe de Haan.
forward Beth England says 2023: “She lets us know when something isn’t right, and she’s not shy about being savage and cruel when the need arises.”
Wigman, who was a teacher before coaching, was protective of her players and some called her a “motherly” figure.
“The reality is my life before Salina Wegman and my life after Salina Wegman are completely different,” the goalkeeper Mary Earps said last year.
