For anyone immersed in Dutch women’s and youth football, the name Marten Glotzbach will no doubt sound familiar. Born on 2 July 1968 in the Netherlands’ port city of The Hague, he experienced from a young age what life was like in the land where football is woven into the national consciousness. Growing up, he nurtured both intellectual and physical curiosity.
Both talents and both areas of interest he would go on to nurture with passion and professionalism for his entire career. It might well be that for many, the name Marten Glotzbach is first known as that of his highly successful wife, Sarina Wiegman – but that association sells him short. He is a qualified football coach, long-standing Economics teacher and devoted mentor to scores of players, pupils and future leaders, on and off the field.
Early Life and Education
A history of football: Since he was a child, he’d breathed in football when playing and training around where he was born and raised in the south Holland region, setting down foundations for his double role as teacher and coach. Eventually, he completed his studies for his bachelor commerce/economics studies, before getting a teachers’ training degree. These courses were to lead him to become more than just a coach; they were the framework to the whole of the role in the field.
Shortly after he would earn UEFA coaching licences to let him perform duties in Dutch football professional football. A dual role: The reason he pursued both education and coaching was evident to him already in his earliest footballing and his teaching days: the same organisation, order, and guidance as in the classroom as on the field was evident and worked perfectly. The economist and his 22-year-plus stay at Segbroek College in The Hague – in addition to organising the school’s football programme – means very few coaches have such a broad viewpoint on football as Marten Glotzbach.
Football Coaching Career
After that, football coaching was introduced, which began in local clubs around the Hague, where it all began with, HBS Craeyenhout and SVV Scheveningen. The basis for this is currently our football coach who was doing this with youth across many ages. Marten Glotzbach believed that long-term sporting development takes patience and it was important to focus on building player character and understanding tactically, rather than results.
In parallel, he held a position as a youth trainer/coordinator at Host Broadcast Services, known to shoot for various major sporting events worldwide, gaining insight into the operational side of football at top level.
It was in 2018 that his most impactful career chapter began when he joined ADO Den Haag’s women’s program. Marten Glotzbach’s involvement initially started as youth coach for the under 16’s and 17’s, where he systematically gained the trust of the young footballers he trained, the organization and the club executives. His developmental results at this level were evident: he elevated 9 under 17 players to ADO Den Haag’s senior team squad during his time there, and 12 young players coached by Marten Glotzbach were eventually included in the first-team.
In recognition of his significant contribution Marten Glotzbach was promoted as of December 2024 to head coach of the first women’s team at ADO Den Haag. He signed an agreement until the middle of 2026. Given his close knowledge of the developing players, a continuation of his coaching efforts at first team level made sense for the club.
Coaching Philosophy
One thing is for sure, Marten Glotzbach is not like the majority of coaches as far as the holistic vision for player development is concerned. This is a coach, for him the game football is more than a battle of will, muscles or speed. For him, it is a training field to form resilience, leadership, cooperation and creative thinking for the future. From his economics studies and teaching experience, he brings structure and analysis, not just physical.
This training helps the football players to become not just tough players but also smart and tactical players. His calmness, the way he interacts with young players and his willingness to think in the long term, rather than the short term, characterize the coaches of Marten Glotzbach, something that proves that it was such an important factor to get the youth players at ADO Den Haag further.
Family Life: Partnership With Sarina Wiegman
But the most talked-about aspect of Marten Glotzbach’s personal life is arguably his wife, Sarina Wiegman. An exceptional football manager, she has created an entirely new standard for success with the Dutch and England’s women’s sides, becoming known as one of the all-time greatest managers of the sport and owning the record of most tournaments won (three) of any national manager. The pair have two daughters, Sacha and Lauren, and their life outside of the game centres largely around football.
Her formal name is Sarina Wiegman-Glotzbach. Sarina is now England’s Women’s Head Coach following the position taken up in September 2021 after an unbelievably successful tenure as the native Netherlands’ national manager. In this time managing the Dutch women’s side, she reached uncharitable heights, achieving a 100% win rate in every competition she did not win, winning the 2017 European Championships in the Netherlands and reaching the 2019 FIFA World Cup final. Marten Glotzbach is well-respected in the sport and has a reasonably low-key approach to life off the field. He previously served as an assistant to Sarina on club and national duties, providing a reliable figure in the dugout and a trusted shoulder to lean on.
Far beyond this, Marten also even took over coached daughter Lauren at the club level in the Dutch capital of ADO Den Haag, further highlighting the family’s immersion. Notwithstanding their obvious status within the global game, the pair have maintained a careful distinction of their own and their children’s private lives outside of the lens of media organizations.
Legacy and Future
A profile in humble, positive dedication. Marten Glotzbach might not have major trophies or major headlines attributed to his name. Instead, it’s reflected in the players whom he helped nurture, the young coaches whose expertise he passed on and, most importantly, in the football cultures he so consistently nurtured across whichever club or institution he happened to be working within.
As we see Women’s football flourishing around Europe and the world, the impact of coaches like Glotzbach, whose game knowledge is matched with a deep empathy for people, become all the more crucial.
Future options could range from more time spent on club coaching, consultant work on national youth teams or taking on educational roles. Marten Glotzbach’s effect on Dutch football will endure.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Who is Marten Glotzbach?
The life and career of Marten Glotzbach, a football coach who works as a sports economics teacher. Marten Glotzbach was born on July 2nd, 1968, in the city of The Hague. The Dutchman is perhaps most recognizable as the husband of Sarina Wiegman, the England Women’s head coach, but has also forged a substantial coaching career over several decades, including spells with youth and senior women’s sides in his native Holland, with ADO Den Haag his most famous stint.
Which clubs has Marten Glotzbach coached?
Marten Glotzbach has coached HBS Craeyenhout, SVV Scheveningen, SC Monster and ADO Den Haag Women throughout his career. He has most noticeably coached at the club where he took up the role as head coach of the Women’s First Team of ADO Den Haag at the beginning of December 2024 having already coached within ADO’s Under-16’s and Under-17’s youth categories.
Which qualifications does Marten Glotzbach possess?
Marten Glotzbach possesses a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor in Economic Sciences, a teaching degree, and UEFA coaching licences required to be active in professional football. For over twenty years, he was active as an economics teacher at Segbroek College in The Hague, parallel to his career in football.
Does Marten Glotzbach have kids?
Yes, Marten Glotzbach’s wife is Sarina Wiegman and the pair have two children – daughters, Sacha and Lauren. Sacha has played football for the women’s team at ADO Den Haag (Coached by her Father of all people), so it comes to no surprise that football is at the centre of their lives.
What is Marten Glotzbach’s Coaching Philosophy?
Marten Glotzbach focuses on developing the complete player through tactical training, psychological development, leadership training, and academic rigour. The coach, educated in economics and pedagogy, is looking for sustainable results, developing players that are tough, tactically intelligent and excellent characters.
