Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2025

120 121 11TH ASPIRE ACADEMY GLOBAL SUMMIT ASPIRE IN THE WORLD FELLOWS ROUNDTABLETOPIC5: NEWFRONTIERS INWOMENSOCCER (08) [ 08.5 ] TatjanaHaenni Chief SportingDirector NationalWomen’s Soccer League Having this panel to discuss women football at such a conference is great. Women are not small men or boys, so they cannot simply be fitted into the men’s football model. We need to focus on women’s specific issues and programs, identify the business opportunities, and ensure there is a return on investment. First, we need to look at the youth player pathway. What we see is that the best female players are accepted because they play with the boys. There’s a risk for the next group of players, because we need a certain number to have enough talents to fill all the professional leagues and clubs with quality players. In Europe, for instance, if you are not in a boys’ academy and instead play only in girls’ teams, you are often not in the best development environment, and there is nothing in between. To have more and better female players, we need to create awareness in the men’s professional clubs, to not only train the best female players, but also the next best with similar conditions and professionalism. The coaching pathway has historically been designed for men’s football and is largely dominated by men. It’s not necessarily the right way for women, especially if you go to the pro license level. Women’s national team coaches are required to attend courses during FIFA windows; however, these are based on the men’s calendar. In the coaching courses, there is also limited content specifically focused on the women’s game, despite clear physiological and other differences that must be understood. Another challenge is that women are often only given the opportunity to be head coaches in the women’s game, which limits their career unlike the men. We must respect the women’s game as its own entity, with its own demands. Mixed football has its place, but when it comes to the product, commercialization, and revenue, the focus must be on female players and their specific needs. We have an advantage because women’s football is younger than themen’s game, sowe should learn fromtheir experience and avoid repeating the same mistakes. There are aspects of the men’s game that are not particularly positive, such as players not speaking up or being unable to live freely outside tightly controlled environments. Women players are different right now, and that is a strength. However, if we do not protect this with appropriate structures, we risk ending up in the same situation. This is why I value the National Women’s Soccer League. We are the best league in the world because we are independent, self- financed, and self-governed, allowing us tomake decisions that are good for the league and for women’s football. Looking specifically at South America, there are so many talented girls. I do not believe we treat them as well as we should, and this is probably true in many parts of the world. I sincerely hope we are now at a point where everyone begins to recognize the potential, the opportunities, and works to ensure that women are given their rightful place in the football industry—so that the game can truly prosper and grow. ROUND TABLE