NewsAssociation
Nina Patalon to Lead Poland in the Next World Cup Qualifiers
The Polish Football Association has announced that the contract with the head coach of the Poland women’s national team, Nina Patalon, has been extended. The coach, who has been in charge since 2021, will remain in her role and guide the team through the qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Nina Patalon is the first coach in history to lead Poland’s women’s national team to the final tournament of the UEFA European Championship. Qualification was secured after a two-legged play-off against Austria – Poland won the first match 1–0 thanks to a goal from Natalia Padilla-Bidas, while Ewa Pajor struck the decisive goal in the return leg. At the EURO finals, Poland finished third in their group. After defeats to Germany and Sweden, the team lost its chance to advance to the knockout stage, but ended the tournament in style with a 3–2 victory over Denmark.
With Nina Patalon as head coach, Poland’s women’s national team has also twice earned promotion to League A of the UEFA Women’s Nations League, underlining the growing strength of Polish women’s football on the international stage.
Nina Patalon has extensive experience in youth development, having previously coached Poland’s women’s U-17 and U-19 national teams. A former player herself, she represented Poland at youth international level before turning to coaching. After retiring from her career as a player, she obtained the highest coaching qualification, becoming the only woman in Poland to hold the UEFA Pro Licence. On 29 April 2021, she was officially appointed as head coach of the senior women’s national team.
