Conference gathers UEFA member association and women’s football leaders
Two-day event included presentations, panel discussion and workshops
Among the speakers was French Minister of Sport, Laura Flessel

A day before the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018, leaders in women’s football joined representatives from member associations in Europe (UEFA) at the FIFA Women’s Football Conference in Rennes.
"FIFA is ready to bring women's football to the next level,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Whether by increasing access for girls around the globe or by bringing the elite professional game to new heights, the sport will continuously be integrated into our activities across the organisation. This is the only way we can further develop it. Today, I no longer want to refer to it as women's football, but simply as football."
The two-day conference included presentations and discussions on how FIFA can support the UEFA Member Associations in developing strategies to help grow and improve women’s football in their respective countries. The French Minister of Sport, Laura Flessel, was a special guest speaker and she emphasised the importance of female participation in sports.
FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura also addressed the conference delegates on the progress that has been made. “When I joined FIFA two years ago, there was 32 per cent of women present at the level of the administration," she said. "Today, I’m delighted to announce that we are almost as numerous as men. 48 per cent of women have been recruited and are working, on and off the pitch, within FIFA.
“The train has left the station. Either you jump on board, or you miss it. FIFA is definitely willing to join the train of modernity, but also of diversity in the world of football.”

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura addresses the Women's Football Conference

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura addresses the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FIFA Chief Woman's Football Officer Sarai Bareman speaks at the FIFA Women's Football Conference in Rennes, France

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: FIFA Chief Woman's Football Officer Sarai Bareman attends the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

A general view during the FIFA Women's Football Conference in Rennes

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: A general view during the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Panel discussion with Sweden's Hakan Sjorstand, Kosovo's Eroll Salihu, England's Kelly Simmons, UEFA's Nadine Kessler and FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer Sarai Bareman

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: Panel discussion with Sweden FA Secretary General Hakan Sjorstand, Kosovo FF General Secretary Eroll Salihu, The FA Participation and Development Director Kelly Simmons, UEFA Head of Women's Football Nadine Kessler and FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer Sarai Bareman during the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

French Minister of Sports Laura Flessel-Colovic

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: French Minister of Sports Laura Flessel-Colovic addresses the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura poses with French Minister of Sports Laura Flessel-Colovic

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura poses with French Minister of Sports Laura Flessel-Colovic during the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FIFA Chief Woman's Football Officer Sarai Bareman

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: FIFA Chief Woman's Football Officer Sarai Bareman delivers her speech at the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FFF Vice President Brigitte Henriques addresses the Women's Football Conference

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: FFF Vice President Brigitte Henriques addresses the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Panel discussion during the Women's Football Conference

23 Aug 2018

Laura Georges attends the Women's Football Conference

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: Laura Georges attends the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

UEFA Head of Women's Football Nadine Kessler a

23 Aug 2018

RENNES, FRANCE - AUGUST 23: UEFA Head of Women's Football Nadine Kessler addresses the Women's Football Conference during the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 on August 4, 2018 at Mercure Hotel Centre Gare in Rennes, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura

23 Aug 2018

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As part of the conference, presentations were given on the FIFA Strategy for Women’s Football by FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman and UEFA’s Women’s Football Strategy by former Germany international and 2014 FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Nadine Kessler, who is now the UEFA Head of Women’s Football.
There was also a panel discussion on the best examples of women’s football development in Europe, with representatives from UEFA, England, Kosovo and Sweden sharing their experiences. Delegates also participated in workshop sessions on grassroots/participation, elite youth development, senior elite development and governance.
“One of the greatest things about a forum like this is the opportunity it provides for our members to come together, learn about what we are doing and how we can support them and also to exchange with each other,” Bareman said. “We need to understand collectively what the challenges are and how we can overcome them. The best way to learn that is from each other.”

As hosts of this year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™, France’s efforts to raise the profile of women’s football in their country were outlined in a presentation led by French Football Federation Vice-President Brigitte Henriques.
“With this organisation of the Women’s World Cup in France, we hope that we can give a good illustration of what can happen in a country, where ten years ago, nobody cared or believed in women’s football. A country, where it was really hard to find a club for a girl to play football,” Henriques said. “But now, the culture barriers have fallen down and any girl can play football in France. It’s a big, big victory.”
The gathering in Rennes proved to be an invaluable resource for delegates, as they continue to find new and innovative ways to improve the women’s game in their countries.
“Each time I’m coming to such workshops or conferences, I get goose bumps because I’ve really realised what a huge impact and power women’s football has on society,” said Nina Travkina, Head of Women’s Football at the Latvian Football Federation. “We’ve realised in Latvia as well, and now, we are really encountering a huge growth in women’s football.”

Rennes hosts Europe's leaders in women's football

24 Aug 2018

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2018

New champions to be crowned in Brittany

23 Aug 2018

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2018

Coaches gather for ten-day workshop on women’s football development

05 Aug 2018

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2018

Frappart: I'm proud to represent France in the final

23 Aug 2018

Coaches gather for ten-day workshop on women’s football development

FIFA Regional Women’s Coaching Workshop began Saturday in Rennes
Ten-day workshop includes women’s coaches from French-speaking nations
Participants will analyse matches at this year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup

Women’s football coaches from various French-speaking regions have gathered in Brittany for a FIFA Regional Women’s Coaching Workshop, which began on Saturday 4 August. The ten-day workshop will include instructional seminars and practical sessions, as well as viewing and analysing matches at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018.
Participants at the workshop not only include coaches that work in regional academies and at the youth sections of clubs in Belgium, France and Luxembourg, but also individuals from as far away as Haiti and New Caledonia. They will take part in seminars conducted by FIFA instructors Sonia Haziraj and Anne Noe, as well as guest speakers including France women’s national team coach Corinne Diacre, referee Fatou Gaye, and members of the U-20 Women’s World Cup Technical Study Group in Patricia Gonzalez and Elisabeth Loisel.
As part of the workshop, the participating coaches will attend six matches in the group stage at France 2018, where they will observe developments in the women’s game at that age level and share those experiences with fellow participants, with the aim of making plans for the future of women’s football in their clubs, regions and countries.

“This project is within the scope of FIFA’s competitions’ legacy initiatives,” said Emily Shaw, FIFA’s Head of Women’s Football Development. “For these coaches, there is no better backdrop than the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup - the pinnacle of elite youth development - to gather, exchange and learn during this seminar.”
Shaw also emphasised the importance of having an international group of coaches share their experiences with the participants from France. “The participation of Belgium, Luxembourg, New Caledonia and Haiti adds an international dimension to the debates,” she said. “Furthermore, this provides such member associations with an opportunity to bring key learnings and best practices to apply back home.”
One individual that has welcomed this workshop opportunity is French Football Federation vice president Brigitte Henriques. “We want to thank FIFA for the opportunity to gather these key actors for the women’s game in our country,” she said. “This seminar will provide them with new tools and further strengthen our internal networks, which is critical for the overall success of our game.”

Haiti: A world of possibilities

03 Aug 2018

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2018

Abebe: You learn about life in refereeing

04 Aug 2018

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2018

Brittany welcomes the world

03 Aug 2018

Development

New FIFA workshop aims to inspire future women leaders

FIFA pilots new female leadership programme targeting youth
Moscow event includes U-20 women's captains and young referees
CONCACAF Head of Women’s Football Karina Le Blanc among guest speakers

'Captains of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow.' That was the fitting title of a two-day workshop held in Moscow this week for captains of the national teams qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup taking place in France this August.
FIFA brought together the players, plus six young referees representing the confederations, to help develop their leadership skills both on the field and off it.
“One of the challenges in women’s football is a lack of role models for young girls,” said FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman.
“We want to build these captains and referees into future role models by equipping them with the skills they need in order to lead. This is also a chance to bring them close to FIFA and show them that we are real people doing real things to develop women’s football.”

One of the guest speakers providing inspiration was FIFA Legend Karina LeBlanc, who has made a name for herself not only as a star goalkeeper for Canada’s national team but also for her exploits off the field as a UNICEF Ambassador and, more recently, at CONCACAF.
“Each and every one of you brings something unique to the sport,” said LeBlanc in her pep talk to the attendees, which included the story of how Canada went from finishing last at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 to winning a bronze medal at the London Olympics.
“You lead a team, you lead a nation. You are the biggest names in your country, and if your country hasn’t started paying attention yet, trust me they will. Women’s football is going somewhere.”
Malia Steinmetz, U-20 captain for New Zealand and a member of the senior squad, agrees the women’s game is on the rise and says it has been particularly encouraging to see the women’s team gain pay parity with the men’s team this year after a historic agreement.
“Women’s football has grown so much over the last few years,” said Steinmetz. “We’ve seen it New Zealand, especially with the pay parity deal. Hopefully it can get way bigger, and we can get more women into top seats.”
Alexia Delgado has also seen significant improvement in her native Mexico with the launch of the Women’s Premier League in 2017. But the U-20 captain, who is bound for Arizona State University this year, believes there’s still a way to go and she is eager to contribute by learning to become a better leader.
“I want to make history in my country,” said Delgado. “I want to be remembered as a good captain, a good player and also a good person. During this workshop, we’ve been sharing what we do within our teams and learning from each other how to create the best environment.”

FIFA’s Senior Manager of Refereeing Kari Seitz, who is the only male or female to officiate at four World Cups, believes bringing referees and players together is valuable for everyone.
“I want to add some humanity to referees. Players at this workshop have been able to see that the referees are just like them,” said Seitz. “Teaching leadership skills at a young age is only going to make them be more successful. Women players, coaches, referees – we’re all getting more opportunities. That’s the beauty of how things are evolving.”
Nigerian referee Alaba Abigael said she could never have dreamed of such an opportunity, particularly against the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup™.
“I’m so happy coming to this workshop in Russia and representing Africa,” said Abigael. “Back home, there are some young referees whose parents brought them into refereeing just because of me – because they liked my style of officiating, they liked my boldness and my courage. They’ve said they want their daughters to be like me. It’s good!”
The workshop was led by Head of Women’s Football Development & Governance Emily Shaw and other members of FIFA’s women’s football division as well as guest presenter Karl Lines, National Youth Engagement & Leadership Manager for The FA.
Key themes of the workshop included:

Connecting and building a safe, positive learning environment with group cohesion
A modern approach to leadership, understanding “non-positional leadership”
Understanding yourself as a leader, including your own talents, strengths, values and interests
Being an authentic leader, taking actions that are consistent with your own values
Collaboration and a common purpose in your team, making the most of multiple talents and working with shared visions and values

Captains of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow is part of a new-look female leadership programme that includes three pillars and is set to be rolled out in stages. The first targets youth, the second looks at developing member association staff who are in charge of women’s football and the third focuses on increasing the number of women in executive roles.