Mark Parsons is no longer the national coach of the Orange Lionesses. The KNVB has announced this. According to the football association, there is too little confidence in the fact that Parsons can realize the ambitions of the Dutch football players.
Parsons succeeded the successful Sarina Wiegman last year. With Wiegman, the Orange Lionesses became European champions in 2017, followed by a second place at the World Cup in 2019. With Parsons, who had a rough start anyway due to problems with his travel documents, the last European Championship was a lot less successful. The defending champions were eliminated by France in the quarterfinals.
The KNVB says that an evaluation has taken place after the European Championship and that this showed that there is too little confidence that the ambitions can be achieved under the current leadership: “That is not a nice decision, but that is also part of top football”. let Jan Dirk van der Zee, ultimately responsible for Dutch women’s football, know on behalf of the football association.
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• During and after the failed European Championship, there was already plenty of tension between the Orange Lionesses and national coach Mark Parsons. As can be read in this analysis.
,,In the run-up to and at the European Championship, both the game shown and the results were disappointing and we cannot afford that. The bar is high. The Netherlands was defending champion and also a finalist at the last World Cup, we want to participate for the prizes. With a view to the current World Cup qualifying series, it has been decided that someone else will be at the helm in the very short term.”
Van der Zee nevertheless wishes Parsons, who came over from the American Portland Thorns, success in his further career: ,,The group came from an incredibly strong period and supplemented with young players, the team had to lay the foundation for new successes. Mark has managed to scout new talents and give them a chance in this interim phase and we are grateful to him for that.”
The Orange Lionesses will continue the World Cup qualifying series in September. After the friendly match against Scotland (September 2), the crucial game with Iceland will follow on September 6. The Netherlands are first in the group with a two-point lead over Iceland, which has also played one game less. If the Orange Lionesses win, qualification for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is a fact.
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