Meet the experts: Anna Signeul

Former Sweden international Anna Signeul managed Scotland’s women’s national team from 2005 to 2017, during which time she led them to an all-time high of 20th place in the FIFA World Rankings.

She then had a five-year spell as manager of Finland before concluding her role after EURO 2022. Signeul started her coaching career in Sweden, working with Caroline Seger, Nilla Fischer and Linda Sembrandt at the very start of their youth international careers. She also attended last year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India as part of the Technical Study Group, and she is a UEFA Pro Licence holder.

Signeul is a familiar presence on the touchline

Her last job in management saw her guide Finland to UEFA EURO 2022

Commenting in the run-up to the tournament, she said: “It’s the first time the tournament is in two countries, so it’s very exciting to see how teams have to adjust their preparation based on the travel involved compared to when it was hosted in the USA and in China. There are 32 teams this time, and this will be very interesting because there are some very good teams that are debuting, and I think they will do very well.

“This World Cup is very unpredictable. It’s hard to predict who the semi-finalists will be because the standards have developed, and it will be extremely competitive. The fitness levels of the players and the intensity they are playing at is advancing all the time, and it will be interesting to see if the technique and tactical awareness of the players can cope with this intensity.

“With the speed of the game increasing, it can also reduce the number of duels, and I think this will be very interesting to monitor. It’s a very exciting time for the women’s game, and this will be an intriguing tournament that I am very much looking forward to,” she concluded.

Signuel will be based in New Zealand and will attend all the games in Wellington.