Wiegman in club v country wrangle over release of England World Cup players
Sarina Wiegman is caught in a club v country tussle after naming her World Cup squad, with the England manager fearing her plans to get the players together in less than three weeks could be blocked.
Wiegman wants to begin preparations on 19 June and said clubs had been alerted to this in November. But the European Club Association is understood to be united behind a deal it reached with Fifa this month for a release timeframe of 23-29 June. The Football Association is searching for a solution with clubs.
Wiegman revealed England set their call-up date in November using expertise and experience regarding rest, recovery and preparation. She said they had agreed the plan with the captains’ group, then with the wider squad and had spoken to clubs.
“It’s frustrating because we have all our plans and we thought we were all set,” Wiegman said. “And then like a month ago, all of a sudden things change. We didn’t expect that – it is so late. I do understand, it’s about the calendar. It’s really hard.”
She described talks as “very constructive” but “not finalised” and emphasised that any delay to her proposed start would be significant with England needing to go to the tournament at their “highest levels”. The World Cup begins on 20 July and England’s first game, against Haiti, comes two days later.
In England’s 23-player squad only Barcelona’s Lucy Bronze and Brighton’s Katie Robinson are with clubs that are not ECA members. Germany also confirmed their squad on Wednesday and their manager, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, said Bayern Munich, where England’s Georgia Stanway plays, would not release anyone before 23 June.
Goalkeepers
Mary Earps (Manchester United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City).
Defenders