Former Inter star Sneijder hints that female coaches shouldn’t manage men’s teams

Former Inter star Wesley Sneijder hints that female coaches shouldn’t manage men’s teams: ‘The fact that we are talking about it now is already too much.’

Sneijder joined another former Netherlands international, Pierre Van Hooijdonk, on Studio Voetbal on Tuesday, discussing whether a female coach like Sarina Wiegman, currently in charge of England women’s national team could ever be appointed by a men’s team.

Van Hooijdonk, the father of Bologna striker Sydney, seemed reluctant to the idea, claiming a woman is “less credible than a man”, and Sneijder agreed with his compatriot.

“It’s difficult for me to judge. I go back to being myself, to how I was then in the locker room,” said the 2010 Inter Champions League winner, as quoted by Goal.com.

“Maybe now I’ve changed, but I haven’t. I imagine I would have a coach. I have nothing against women, but we are going too far. I heard it said that we have to break something now. Why? What do we have to break? If it happens, it will happen, but we are forcing it too much. The fact that we are talking about it now is already too much. Maybe it will happen, but we are forcing it now, which is counterproductive.”

Sneijder, 39, spent four years at Inter, scoring 22 goals in 116 appearances with the Nerazzurri. He is one of the most successful Inter stars of the last decade having won the Treble under José Mourinho in 2009-10.

The former Dutch midfielder also won a Club’s World Cup and a Supercoppa Italiana during his time at the Stadio Meazza.

Sneijder retired in 2019 after a two-year spell with Al-Gharafa SC.