Sarina Wiegman ‘shocked’ by Jonas Eidevall’s departure from Arsenal: ‘I was stunned’

England manager Sarina Wiegman said she was “a bit stunned” by the news that Arsenal Women manager Jonas Eidevall had resigned.

Eidevall stepped down from her role on Tuesday morning after a poor start to the season left Arsenal sixth in the Women’s Super League (WSL) table.

The Gunners have won just one of their four league games so far this season and were also beaten 5-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage opener last week.

Eidevall had been at Arsenal since 2021, winning the League Cup twice, and Lionesses manager Wiegman admitted he was surprised to see him leave.

“I just heard it, to be honest, I was a little in shock. I didn’t expect that,” Wiegman said.

“Of course this is very sad. I had a good working relationship with him. I was a little stunned, to be honest.

Eidevall was under pressure in Saturday’s WSL game against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.

The 2-1 defeat only increased the scrutiny on him, with a wall near the ground having the words “Jonas out” graffitied on it.

Wiegman believes the level of pressure and discussion surrounding managers’ positions is a sign of how women’s football is evolving, with fans on social media also turning against Eidevall.

“The game is growing a lot and it’s very visible, and with some clubs in the Champions League, it’s getting bigger and bigger,” she said.

“So you see that coming too, that has also become part of the game, and unfortunately that is a negative. A lot of things are very positive, but there are also some negative things that come with it.”