Dan Ashworth leading search for new FA women’s technical director | OneFootball

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman also on panel looking for successor to Kay Cossington

Dan Ashworth is leading a panel that includes Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman, as the Football Association (FA) search for their next women’s technical director.

Kay Cossington left her role as the FA’s women’s technical director last month.

Cossington had led the FA’s women’s technical team since 2016 but departed to become head of women’s football at the investment firm Sixth Street and chief executive of Bay Collective, a multi-club organisation launched by the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Bay FC.

Ashworth was previously the FA’s director of elite development, and has returned to the organisation following stints at Brighton, Newcastle and Manchester United, where he lasted just five months as sporting director.

The FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, explained on Friday that England manager Wiegman is also a member of the panel that will decide on Cossington’s successor.

“Sarina is on the interview panel for that role,” Bullingham said. “It is important that the chemistry is really good between those roles and those individuals. Sarina and Kay have a good relationship and we want to replicate that.

“Dan Ashworth is now leading that search. We had already got it down to a longlist and he is now refining it down to a shortlist. We would like to make an appointment, but it’s more important for us to make the right appointment, so we won’t rush it through. It will probably still take a little bit of time.”

Wiegman’s contract runs until after the 2027 World Cup, as does those of her coaching staff, but trusted assistant manager Arjan Veurink will depart after Euro 2025 to become Netherlands head coach.

“She is the most successful coach in women’s international football today with two Euros wins and two World Cup runners-up medals,” Bullingham said of Wiegman. “It’s worth pointing out that no other coach in the men’s or women’s game has won a Euros or World Cup with two different nations, so she has a unique achievement in that.”

Asked whether Wiegman would consider staying beyond 2027, Bullingham replied: “We haven’t looked beyond that timescale yet or engaged in those conversations.”

He was similarly unwilling to discuss the possibility of Wiegman’s contract being terminated early if, for example, the Lionesses produced a Euro 2025 campaign the FA deemed to have fallen below standards.

“We're delighted that Sarina's in place until 2027 and I don't see any scenario changing that,” Bullingham said.

“We did get a small compensation fee [from the Dutch FA for Veurink’s exit], but that was not a big factor in the decision. It was relatively small. I won’t go into too many more details.

“It wasn’t really about that, it was more about allowing someone who had been a really good operator for us, to achieve a dream that they wanted to do.

“We’ve agreed the [performance-related] bonuses with the players. We locked that down a few weeks ago. The way that works is that it is a percentage of the prize money we get from UEFA. But that has all been agreed.”