Former Republic of Ireland women's coach Vera Pauw has been awarded the prestigious Dutch Coaches’ Association Lifetime Achievement Award this week.
Pauw, who recently led Ireland's women's team to their first-ever Women's World Cup, has become only the third coach to achieve the accolade and the first female coach to receive the award. The other coaches to have won it are men's coaches Louis van Gaal and Johan Cruyff.
Pauw was presented with the Rinus Michels Oeuvre Award by Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Netherlands manager Guus Hiddink.
The Dutch legend played as a defender during her career for clubs like SV Brederodes before moving on to VVV-Venlo, where she played from 1984 to 1986. She then had stints with DPS Schaesberg (1986–1987), SV Fortuna Wormerveer (1987–1988), and Puck Deventer (1988–1999). On the international stage, she was a key player for the Netherlands women's national team from 1984 to 1998, earning 89 caps and scoring 2 goals.
Thank you @raymondverheije . I am extremely proud of this award. I am so grateful to be recognized for the content of my work. It is something I will cherish forever. https://t.co/5qKLX1E4te pic.twitter.com/sxu6mdjSex
— Vera Pauw (@verapauw) July 4, 2024
After retirement, she tried her hand at management. Her first role was with Scotland (1998–2004), followed by spells with her native Netherlands (2004–2010), Russia (2010), South Africa (2014–2016), and then to America, where she managed Houston Dash in the NWSL (2018).
However, it is the Republic of Ireland team where fans back home would remember Pauw best. Pauw's coaching helped the side improve dramatically, and as a result, they reached their first-ever Women's World Cup last summer. She then left her role with Ireland shortly after the tournament.
Posting on Twitter, the former Ireland coach responded to a tweet that initially said, "Today @verapauw received the 'lifetime achievement award' from Guus Hiddink, president of the Dutch Coaches Association, for being the founding mother of the women's game in The Netherlands. After Louis van Gaal & Johan Cruyff, Vera Pauw is the first female coach to receive the award."
Pauw's response was, "Thank you, @raymondverheije. I am extremely proud of this award. I am so grateful to be recognised for the content of my work. It is something I will cherish forever."
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