Sarina Wiegman vs. Emma Hayes: Two of the world’s best coaches to meet

During her time at Chelsea, Hayes was known as a ruthless winner, leading them to five successive Women’s Super League titles between 2019 and 2024, having been willing to make sacrifices and make tough decisions along the way.

It was shown in the club’s 2022 DAZN documentary how, when she gave a team talk, she promised to replace her players and “find better ones” if they did not deliver.

Off the field, Hayes regularly leads conversations on women’s health, covering a range of issues such as the menstrual cycle and 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 playing football under her”.

There is a similar recklessness with Wiegman.

She wasted no time in naming a new England captain when she took over, handing the armband to Leah Williamson and leaving Steph Houghton out of her Euro 2022 squad.

But there is also pragmatism from Wiegman, a meticulous planner who was described as “a workaholic” by veteran Dutch coach Foppe de Haan.

Forward Beth England said in 2023: “She tells us when things aren’t right and she’s not shy about being wild and brutal when she needs to be.”

A teacher before her coaching days, Wiegman is protective of her players, with some referring to her as a “mother-like” figure.

“The reality is my life before Sarina Wiegman and my life after Sarina Wiegman are completely different,” goalkeeper Mary Earps said last year.