Following her first year in charge that delivered promotion to Nations League B and Baltic Cup success, Latvia women head coach Liene Vāciete says her side will treat a step up in the UEFA Nations League as a chance “to gain experience and awareness of the level we have reached and what we need to do to stay at this level“.
Vāciete, a former international with 24 appearances and seven goals for Latvia, is the first woman from Latvia to earn a UEFA Pro licence, told UEFA.com that taking the national team job was the biggest challenge of her coaching career, but also a long-term ambition.
“When I returned to Latvia from the United States, […] I had no clear plan. I only knew that I still wanted to continue playing football and look for opportunities to work in that environment.” she said. “When I began working with Latvia’s youth national teams, it quickly became clear that my calling was professional sport – an environment driven by ambition, structure and long-term goals.”
Vāciete said the initial progress was built on a strong coaching staff, familiarity with much of the squad from her work in youth national teams, and an early focus on creating what she described as a positive, supportive environment.
Latvia’s next Nations League group presents a significant rise in difficulty, drawing Portugal, Finland and Slovakia. Vāciete noted that Finland and Portugal have recently played at the European Championship finals, while Slovakia sit around 50 places above Latvia in the FIFA rankings.
Vāciete added that the underdog label could work in Latvia’s favour. “It is a privilege to be in an underdog position when nothing is expected of you,” she said.
She also pointed to the UEFA Coach Mentor Programme as an important part of her development, describing mentor Anna Signeul as a key source of support and confidence.
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Source: https://www.uefa.com/womenseuropeanqualifiers/news/02a2-200089b00297-37f78a636923-1000–latvia-coach-liene-vaciete-s-journey-from-youth-teams-to-/
