Behind closed doors, Dutch football honchos have reportedly been covertly orchestrating a seismic shift that could reshape the game's history.
Sarina Wiegman, the beacon of brilliance behind the triumphant Lionesses, is stealthily emerging as a prime contender for the Netherlands men's national team coach post.
In hushed corridors and whispered conversations, insiders have long speculated about Wiegman's ascent to a shortlist of candidates for the hallowed men's coaching job.
But now, with her latest dazzling feat – steering the women's international squads to her fourth consecutive major final – her candidacy has risen like never before.
On Sunday, casting shadows over the Lionesses' valiant efforts in the face of Spain, Wiegman's resolute commitment to the English Football Association (FA) echoed through the stadium's reverberating silence.
"No plans to leave," she said.
Yet, 2023 had been relentless, battering the Netherlands men's side with defeats that sent shock waves through the football universe.
Ronald Koeman, at the helm for his second stint, finds himself ensnared in the clutches of high-stakes pressure.
But amid this tempest, the spotlight shifts to Wiegman.
The mastermind who achieved a staggering back-to-back appearance in major tournament finals with the Dutch women's team, the formidable 53-year-old is bound by a contract with England until the close of Euro 2025.
Mark Bullingham, the chief architect of England's football affairs, has sounded a symphony of admiration for Wiegman's prowess.
"She could do anything she wants in football," he said.
Indeed, whispers in U.S. media weave tales of her as a potential successor to Vlatko Andonovski, who recently relinquished the reins of the American national team.
But it is the KNVB, the Royal Dutch Football Association, that might unveil the ultimate allure for this gifted strategist.
Yet, Bullingham pledged to stand steadfast against all suitors.
His hopes intertwine with Wiegman's commitment, echoing the sentiment that she's meant to shepherd the Lionesses through a prolonged era of brilliance.
And as discussions drift to the wage chasm – Wiegman's reported 400,000 pounds ($505,495) juxtaposed against Gareth Southgate's 6 million pounds annual bounty – Bullingham spoke of a future where parity prevails, while acknowledging the market's stark realities.
Amid this whirlwind, Wiegman's satisfaction in her role with the Lionesses rings resoundingly.
A new horizon dawns, with the possibility of her guiding Great Britain in the Paris Olympics if qualification beckons.
With dreams held high, Wiegman said: “The Olympics (in 2021) were a little disappointing too because it was in COVID-19, and it was a big dream of mine to go to the Olympics, but the Olympics was not like everything ... Well, I said it before, it felt like a jail."
So here we stand, on the cusp of history, waiting to see if a Team GB side will grace the Paris Olympics.
