News

Words by Ibtisam Abdullahi, Amelia Beet and Simone Eligon

Photos by Nixon Wong and Ellie Schuetze

 

Introduction

In the Bobby Moore Suite at Wembley Stadium, a hush fell over the room of 600 delegates as Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football (WIF) took the stage to welcome everyone to the fifth Women in Football Be Inspired Conference.

Women’s football has made leaps and bounds in the past few years, with Harrison saying that this conference itself “is a powerful symbol of how far football has come”. Despite this, Harrison urges us to keep breaking the mould and pushing for further change. “What comes next?” She asked. “Progress doesn’t happen by accident… it happens when we turn ambition into action. That’s why WIF exists.”

She stood at the mic and encouraged delegates to utilise today’s safe space to network, encouraging them to “be bold, be curious, be inspired and to listen to different perspectives”

Although this conference usually happens in Spring, WIF decided to hold it in Autumn this year, as Women in Football celebrates their twentieth anniversary.

 

Women in Football: 20 Years of Progress. One Shared Future.
Supported by Premier League

“Twenty years ago WIF was created because so much needed to change, today we can celebrate what we have achieved, and discuss how much further we can go.” Jacqui Oatley MBE started by asking the room “how many of you were working in women’s football in September of 2006?”, a smattering of hands were raised, maybe a table full. The immediate appreciation in the room was palpable; there were now 600 people finding their place in the game all sat in a single room.

Anna Kessel, Journalist and Co-Founder of Women in Football, talked about how hard it was to carve a space in the football industry as a woman before reflecting on how things have changed. But she didn’t shy away from the fact we are still not finished, saying “a woman can walk into a room with all the qualifications and still fail.” We still have a culture that needs to shift. We still need to find a way for this industry to fly.

Ebru Köksal, Chair of Women in Football, also spoke about the challenges she faced navigating the male dominated European leagues during her time as the CEO of Galatasaray S.K. Köksal understood that in order for change to happen, women had to be in the room where people were shaping policy, which is why “it felt like heaven when [she] found Women in Football.”

There were incredibly positive updates about growing sponsorship opportunities and the eagerness of big brands to support the women’s game shared by Nikki Doucet, CEO of WSL Football. She expressed that “the role of women’s football in the wider footballing ecosystem is to help define what modern football looks like.”

Preeti Shetty, CEO of Upshot and Director of Brentford FC, commented on the importance of making sure that your impact as a woman in sports is far-reaching, “if you’re not being heard or asked or approached before a decision is made, you’re just there, you’re just a token.” Alex White, Chief Executive at Premier League Foundation, stated that when looking as a whole “we still see huge underrepresentation in this industry”. He emphasised the importance of ensuring to investigate the experiences of individuals who are recruited to see where the failings are occurring.

Paul Barber OBE, Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman, Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Director of Women in Football, put it plainly, “why would you exclude 50% of the population from the workforce?” Women bring a different perspective on the same problem. Different insights, different life experiences and different thought processes. We’re better off for having diversity. Nikki Doucet wants to create a world where female coaches are treated with respect and credibility as leaders, going on to say “If we have the number one league in the men’s side there is no reason why we shouldn’t have the number one league in the world on the women’s side too.”

 

The Power of Leadership – Unlocking the Art of the Possible Starts with an Investment in You
Supported by EFL

At the beginning of this leadership panel, Host Jane Purdon, Chair of the Professional Game Academy Company, firmly stated to the audience: “if anyone wonders if they’re in the right role, you absolutely are.”

When searching to create a space in any industry, it is easy to let doubt creep in. Jane sat with five leaders who all graduated from the Women in Football Leadership Programme to talk about how they are leaders in their field, and how they empower others to feel confident in their roles. Jane kicked off the panel by asking about the importance of the programme. Many of the panelists spoke about how powerful it is to have a network that helps lift each other up and find support within an industry that can often be isolating for many women.

The Stockport Community Trust CEO Alison Warwood praised her cohort and shared that “when something happens in people’s careers or something doesn’t go well, we are all there for each other when we need it.” The panellists also reminded the audience that being a leader isn’t a role with an end point, but it is a skill that you keep evolving. Sarah Guilfoyle, Head of Football Administration at Blackburn Rovers, shared that the WIF Leadership Programme opened her eyes to strengths she didn’t realise she possessed. For her, “one really important part of leadership is being self-aware.”

This was backed up by Lungi Macebo, Director of Women in Football, who shared the importance of making brave decisions in order to gain long term investment and that “we don’t stop learning. There are lots of things changing in the world of work so investing in yourself is very important.” Although gaining knowledge is very important as a leader, so is confidence. Jane turned to the audience and asked: "who struggles with confidence or imposter syndrome?" Almost every hand in the room went up.

Sarah discussed the idea that many women hold themselves up to a perfect standard, especially compared to their male counterparts, which is impossible to achieve. She shared that her confidence “came a lot from [her] knowledge. You’re got to put yourself out there... I might know 50%, but I can learn the other 50%.” Echoing this sentiment, Alison said that everyone must have faith in themselves and to “just do it because what could go wrong?”

Andrea Brown, the EFL Director of Operations, reminded the room that being a leader doesn’t mean knowing everything, but, just like any sports club, it is about “working and connecting with your team to ensure they’re empowered to deliver a good job.” 

 

Beyond the Badge: Can Football Lead the Fight Against Misogyny?
Supported by Mishcon de Reya LLP

Suzy Wrack, Author, Podcaster and Women’s Football Writer sat down with the panel to discuss the ever-encroaching “birth and growth of the manosphere” and the role football can play to combat it.

We kicked off with Safwan Afridi, Managing Associate at Mishcon de Reya LLP, he spoke on accountability in the footballing sphere; “employers have a duty to take all reasonable steps to resolve harassment” - but even goes on to say that it is still quite “wooly” and the term “all reasonable steps” hasn’t been fully defined. He reinforces that companies need to ensure that there is a clear process to report any issues in the workplace surrounding harassment.

Next, we heard from Edleen John, Senior Independent Consultant and Portfolio Board Non-Executive Director. She said that the manosphere is “a huge problem and football doesn't operate in a microcosm and instead magnifies issues seen in society”. In response to a question around how to incentivise men to become more visible in their support for their women’s team counterparts said that there should be opportunities for men to be rewarded if they go above and beyond in recognising women’s football but incentivising them to be “decent human beings” is a troubling rhetoric.

Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK, Lee Chambers, spoke as someone whose work deals with helping men develop skills around allyship by teaching them to challenge misogynistic ideas and become confident in having open, honest conversations with each other, remarking that ”football is an amazing tool to make change.”

Jo Tongue MBE, CEO of TTM and Director of Women in Football said that behaviours like rolling of the eyes and ostracising from men about women in the workplace are some things that she commonly experiences. Importantly, she goes on to talk about how entrenched football is in English culture and how we can leverage that. “People imitate their favorite footballers - their clothes, their style, their perspectives” therefore why can’t we use that to influence fans’ perspectives and reject these sexist ideas? She wrapped up by discussing the importance of community and using each other to support yourself.

 

Changing the Game: Technology, Innovation and the Future of Careers in Football
Supported by Xeinadin

On the pitch, technology is transforming performance. Off the pitch, it’s dismantling business operations.

Host Ben Carter, Chief Customer, Marketing and Media Officer of Carwow and Director of WIF, started by asking his panel for a skill that is now non-negotiable on a job description. The answers were largely consistent: data literacy, artificial intelligence fluency and an ability to vary your communication to your audience.

Like most industries today, there is a heavy focus in the women’s game on transforming data into real commercial value - from strategies, fan engagement and live match analysis. Ally Clegg, Head of Startup Activation at Google Cloud, believes that “the best businesses, clubs and teams are those that can be proactive not just reactive”. And that’s where artificial intelligence comes in. From live fatigue and injury risk during matches, to collating fan interactions on match days, to everyday club systems and operations.

There’s a need to balance maintaining identity whilst scaling capabilities. Simon Morris, Vice President of International Marketing at Adobe, explained that there’s a fine line between introducing technology and modifying infrastructure without losing the legacy and values of traditional football clubs. Amy Clegg, Chief Brand and Corporate Affairs Officer at Sage, understood that clubs are keen to preserve and protect their hyperlocal position and place in the community, but was insistent that there’s a place for technology to leverage the everyday operations. And within that, the panel were passionate about using technology to serve an audience - using data to build a “future fan” - because the reality is that fans both drive financial revenue and build community.

And in a world of automation, the data will always be there, it’s more about humanising those numbers. 

 

Fireside chat: Jill Ellis with Jessica Creighton
Supported by Women in Football

Hosted by Jessica Creighton, Presenter and Journalist, the fireside chat with Jill Ellis, Chief Football Officer at FIFA, was one of the hottest tickets in town. And as expected, the room hung on to her every word. Merely five minutes into her conversation, there were countless quotes you would put on a t-shirt.

Perhaps her biggest piece of advice was one of the first things she said, “failure is part of the journey, so what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”. That question set the tone for her fireside chat. 

As one of the highest profile women in the game, you would never believe that a woman of Ellis’ calibre would prefer to be sat at the back. And yet, she sat before 600 delegates and was part of such a candid conversation. 

Throughout all stages of her career, she found herself to be the only female in the room. Her response? “Just get on with it”. In fact, that was a phrase she kept coming back to. Care less about what other people think, earn your place in a room and remember your responsibilities - “be a voice, be visible and build a community.”

“Who are you? What do you believe in? What do you stand for? Don’t speak from a different voice, what you think people want to hear, speak from your own voice.”

Jill ends by reminding us that women’s football is not a copy and paste of men’s football. The women’s game has its own histories and cultures and ways to build. “In 20 years, I am hoping we won’t have to have these conversations.”

 

Investing in Change: Capital, Purpose and the Power of Sport
Supported by Women in Football

Host Caroline Barker, Presenter at Sky Sports, was joined by a panel to discuss how to invest in change in women’s football. There were some big questions being asked.

Is women’s football making commercial sense now? Sonia Gardner, President and Co-Founder of Avenue Capital Group, responded by igniting the debate between independent and affiliated teams. Citing that, from her experience, investment in teams in Spain and Italy, comes with an understanding of losing money. Whereas in the UK, a team affiliated with the men’s side is able to absorb losses, speaking to the symbiosis needed to ensure that womens’ teams survive.

Who is investing in the people? Khalida Popal, Founder & Director of Girl Power Organisation; Former Captain of Afghanistan WNT, believes that investing in women’s football is not just about seeking commercial success, but also about changing lives. She spoke on the transformative effect that football has had on her life: "it [football] has saved me and helped me feel the breeze of freedom”. Speaking as a woman of colour, she addressed that whilst the game is growing in the western world, there is a need for a more intersectional playing field, both on and off the pitch.

What creates change? Trusting that women can be allowed to lead, not just using their diversity to make a photo look good. Following the success of the Australian Women’s national team and the 2023 World Cup, Sydney FC Director and Owner, Alina Barlow, believes investing in the women’s game is all about doing the right thing, not always finding the right numbers. For her, “it is important to talk to women at every level... and be responsible to create opportunities so young girls have pathways.” There needs to be a place for women to enter and a space for them to learn to lead - “you can do anything!”

 

The Women Behind the Lens: The roles shaping live sport – from the gallery to the touchline.
Supported by Sky Sports

Celebrating the women turning live sport into must-watch television and exploring careers in sports broadcasting.
The panel, led by Charlotte Beresford, rights acquisition manager at Sky Sports, introduced the panel, presenting women from a whole host of roles from across Sky Sports.

Sarah Cheadle, Senior Football Director, said she didn’t know what she wanted to do and despite coming from a big footballing family, was stuck. She didn’t have a clear plan, but by taking opportunities as they came and was happy training on the job managed to learn at Sky and worked her way up the ranks. Her day-to-day involves managing imaging on live air: deciding camera angles, talking to cameramen and camerawomen and commentators and managing the graphics that come up on the screen.

Rupa Ghelani, Senior Social Media Journalist, similarly, didn’t see footballing as a career option. She played football at several local clubs, namely, Stockport County’s under 16s. She went on to study languages in university, and then a masters’ in sports broadcasting. Daily, her job entails reacting to news in the footballing world, creating graphics and videos for social media. On live weekends, she notes the difference in her job: “it’s incredibly fast-paced” and her main role involves packaging stories on each platform.

Alice Nightingale, Social Media Output Editor, always knew she wanted to work in TV, recalling writing in her diary that working in TV was an aspiration of hers. She studied computer animation at Portsmouth University. She quickly weeded out what she wanted to do specifically, stating that “faster paced rendering” was what she was mainly interested in and so started as a studio graphics operator. Now, she works in a leadership and management positions and “wanted to be in rooms that women aren’t always in”.

Anni Sahala, Senior Producer, studied sports and journalism at university. She spent a week on the team as work experience and worked her way up the ranks after taking on a holiday cover. Her job is more bigger picture and involves looking ahead at what’s next to see what the teams would need to cover. She also works with a smaller bespoke teams and works on long-form documentaries. When asked about skills they look for at Sky Sports in new, emerging talent, she emphasised the importance of being authentic and showing that you have a unique take on things. 

 

Inclusion for a Competitive Edge
Supported by the FA

Host Maggie Murphy, Managing Director of Aston Villa Women FC and Director of WIF, sat down with Gurpri Bains, Founder and Consultant of Hyphen8 Labs, Sami Dar, Chief Executive at ABL Foundation, Hannah Mansour, Director of Environment, Social & Governance at Arsenal FC, Yasir Mizra, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director at the FA, and Samuel Okafor, CEO of Kick It Out, to discuss how equality, diversity and  inclusion (EDI) strategies can give organisations a competitive edge.

Samuel Okafor, spoke about how inclusion and strategy come to the forefront in everyday life. There has to be a budget for it, there has to be board and executive accountability, and there has to be a space and willingness to fit it into the landscape.

Elaborating on the previous point, Hannah Mansour, talked about how society “moves very fast and changes very slowly”. Organisations need to embed diversity and inclusion to bridge the gap between what they say and what they do. The intention is to create a high-performance environment that builds a “culture for belonging” both for internal members of the organisation but also for those that interact with it.

Both Sami Dar and Yasir Mizra spoke about mindset. Diversity and Inclusion should be about “matching passion with inclusion,” it is less about quotas and more about making a conscious effort to build inclusive principles. “Making sure we don’t overlook the barriers people face, not requiring ordinary people to be extraordinary and still committing to the agenda.”

Gurpri Bains went on to discuss the difference between meeting the definitions of diversity for senior leaders in the room, and instead listening to the diverse perspectives in that room. She went on to remind us that whilst we focus heavily on gender and ethnicity imbalances, there are other protected characteristics that are often overlooked. And it's the overall picture of this that will benefit organisations the most.

The panel concluded by collectively highlighting the need for data in implementing any strategy. And how to ask key questions about the conclusions you draw. From an inclusion perspective, the use of data is vast; analysing the organisational picture, management structure and community databases, and it all provides insights as to how EDI strategies can build from that. 

 

Who Leads the Women's Game? The Race to Build Football's Next Generation of Female Coaches
Supported by Xero

How can you provide someone with an opportunity? This was a key question threaded throughout this panel hosted by Sky Sports reporter Kyle Walker. As the women’s game continues to grow for those in the starting eleven on the pitch, the five panellists explored the current and future landscape for female coaches.

The Director of Football Performance & Development for WSL Football, Audrey Cooper, emphasised the enormous growth in visibility of women coaching day to day compared to a few years ago. However, she also acknowledged that there is still progress to be made.

This was supported by Carla Ward, the Ireland Women’s National Team Head Coach, who highlighted that the women’s game is often used as a learning curve for inexperienced men, whilst inexperienced female coaches are often viewed as a risk instead of a potential asset. She firmly believed that “there are so many women with quality. The decision makers have to put their trust in them.”

Women trying to establish themselves as coaches are often overlooked for multiple reasons. Sabiha Jamal, AFC Wimbledon Women’s Head Coach, said that “a lot of pathways aren’t sustainable.” To attain coaching badges, many women are having to juggle part-time hours and evening courses on top of their normal day to day lives.

Many of the panellists shared the belief that more has to be done at a club level to make their female talent more visible. For Carly Williams, the Women’s First Team Head Coach at Brentford FC, her pathway into coaching began at her son’s games when she was still working as an NHS radiographer. She said that “having opportunities and people believing that you have something to give can really drive you forward.”

When looking for new leadership talent, the Head of Women’s Football at Charlton Athletic, Jemma White believed that “nine times out of ten, you probably have someone very suitable in the building,” which is perhaps something the WSL can begin implementing.

Among the talented female coaches who work within the WSL, Carla asked the audience to think about how many of them were raised through English pathways? She often found that very talented local coaches “were being overlooked by data from other countries.”

As a collective, they stressed the continued need for clubs to take on the responsibility of developing and believing in their female coaches. There has to be more opportunities, more open doors, and more visibility so that they continue inspiring coaches at all stages of their journey.

 

Lessons, Insights and Bold Decisions – Women Leading Football's Future
Supported by Road3

Eleanor Roper, Sports Journalist and Broadcaster at Sky Sports, was joined by Jenny Beacham, Chief Financial Officer at Liverpool FC, Rebecca Caplehorn, Chief Football Officer at Premier League, Kaammini Chanrai, EDI, Safeguarding and Wellbeing Director at Brentford FC, Anna Jones, NED of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, NED of AWIN and Chair of Mercuri, and Claire Morris, CEO UK&I of Sodexo Live!, to discuss their journey in the women’s game.

To begin, the panel all spoke highly of someone who took a chance on them. Understanding that it is a combination of finding people who open doors for opportunities and a willingness to say yes to trying new experiences - “because you can learn and grow at the same time.”

Rebecca Caplehorn reflected on being on the other side of that. Not necessarily opening doors for an individual, but instead advocating in her everyday life for opportunities for others just by how she goes about her role. Whilst Claire Morris reminded us that if someone gives you an opportunity it’s probably because they think you can do the job, so take that as a confidence boost.

Kaammini Chanrai explained that her biggest learning curve throughout her career was collaborating. Being willing to listen and equally willing to talk, she now finds herself surrounded by experts in their respective fields. From there, facilitating the expertise is the way forward.

There was an emphatic agreement that saying yes to things is the best way to progress. Jenny Beacham encouraged everyone to take the logical next steps, but also those that are entirely unrelated to where you thought you would be. Anna Jones later reframed those unrelated opportunities as things you might actually be more ready for than you think - everyone has transferable skills; unique life experiences provide alternative perspectives. But she was quick to add caution, build your boundaries and stick to them. There was, however, a slight disagreement, Rebecca Caplehorn, said “don’t limit yourself, plenty of other people will do that for you”.

 

The Women's Game: Disrupting Football's Future
Supported by Women's Football Awards

One of the final breakout sessions was hosted by Kelly Simmons OBE, Director of Women in Football, where she was accompanied by a panel of women who work in and around the WSL.

Women’s football can get as big as we dream it to be... the sky’s the limit. Sue Day MBE, Director of Women’s and Para Football at the FA, started off with lofty words. She emphasised the importance of being bold, brave and innovative. She discussed in Britain, looking at men’s football is the automatic default but really what is the right answer to get women’s and men’s football on the same playing field? Instead of moving in a similar direction, “we need to differentiate in all aspects - size of pitches, shape of teams, national level football, regional level football and how we recruit talent and how players are valued and cared for”.

Kendall Crean, Vice President of Kynisca, started off by discussing the best methods to sustain the growth of women's football. She says that “capital is of course incredibly important” but we need to ask questions about how to build better for the future. She cited Kynisca founder Michele Kang’s philosophy as reinforcing this: “women’s football is a movement, this isn't a moment”. There needs to be an emphasis on creating intentionally designed environments for players and their staff to thrive in.

Holly Murdoch, COO of WSL Football, began declaring that she is “immensely proud” of the growth in womens’ football, built by a variety of individuals and institutions. The WSL has the best fan engagement initiatives but they are not yet the world’s best.The conversation has finally shifted from whether or not WSL football is successful and now they are now looking at how to sustain that growth. The growth is huge and when compared to the beginnings of the Premier League in the late 1990s, the WSL is fast outpacing it. She believes that fans and players are the way to unlock that full potential of womens’ football.

Lola Ogunbote, Head of Operations at Chelsea Women, is relatively new in this role however, at her last role, Burnley were promoted to WSL 2, under her leadership. She describes herself as “someone who runs before she walks”. She reinforced the importance of recruitment in football and that her and her team’s leadership skills encouraged WSL players to play for their Tier 3 team. At Chelsea, one of the issues she needs to find a solution for is growing attendances. It will be a “slow, steady, deliberate process”; she aims to do this by engaging stakeholders and trying to unravel what they want from their experiences, not following a one-size-fits all approach.

The biggest lesson to take away is that women’s football’s fanbase are not a homogenous group, there is so much diversity of fans in the game. Rachel O'Sullivan, Co-Founder of GirlsontheBall, discusses the importance of the women’s fanbase in the face of investment, they are “74% more likely to spend on merch”. She compared the way that fanbases are treated across the pond; NWSL matchdays tend to look positively into their relationship with their fans, they act as though they’re lucky to have that fanbase whilst in England it's the opposite. She also goes on to discuss the downsides of that increased visibility, as with it comes increased scrutiny. Clubs must therefore have policies in place to protect their players and social media is an incredibly effective tool for growth if used effectively.

 

The Team Behind Your Future
Supported by Evelyn Partners

For female footballers, identity is not only found on the grass, but is also crafted off the pitch. The reality for many female former and current footballers, including Host Chloe Morgan and the other panellists, is that the sport they love will not be the only career that they have. They often have to build a life outside of football that can sustain and nourish their lives both during and after their playing years.

Professional Footballer Hayley Ladd is not a stranger to building a life outside of football having recently finished her MBA and gaining work experience in corporate spaces. Although some may believe that these outside interests distract from the footballing role, Hayley argues that her outside passions “makes me feel lighter on the pitch... and makes me a better leader.”

Rachael Smith, Head of Growth at Evelyn Partners, echoed this sentiment. The same clubs that once stigmatised outside passions are now realising that these identities forged off the pitch are important in maintaining a player’s positive mental health and giving them more holistic care.

When players do eventually retire, it can be difficult for them to know who they are outside of a profession that has been their home since they were a young adult. Claire Rafferty, Former Professional Footballer and TransferRoom Customer Success Manager, said that she “put a lot in place to protect [herself] because it is difficult to transition.” For her, it is important to understand who you are outside of football, so that you could be grounded in your own identity.

This similar point was shared by Eartha Pond, CEO and Founder of the ESP Foundation. As a Black woman, Eartha always knew that “talent was not enough... I knew that I had to have a contingency plan.” Post-football, Eartha has built a career for herself ensuring that all voices are heard and that those people making decisions are being held accountable.

Rachael reminded the audience that for anyone and everyone, one of the most important things is “building resilience, adaptability and the capability to change…those skills aren’t only transferable to other industries, but also other environments.”

 

Fireside chat: Alessia Russo MBE with Hayley McQueen
Supported by Women in Football

Concluding the conference with a legendary conversation, Hayley McQueen was joined by a woman who needed no introduction in Alessia Russo MBE.

The England and Arsenal striker who has just been nominated for the Ballon d’Or for a second time, looked across the room and described the immeasurable change in the women’s game as something she, and her teammates, are really grateful for. She reflects on the change fondly, saying “we’re where we deserve to be”, but wants to see the growth of the Women’s Super League expand to other leagues and other countries.

“It was always football, it was where I felt most like me and where I could express myself.” But her everyday life consists of “normal 27-year-old things”. She gets her nails done, likes going for coffee and taking walks - claiming she “likes a simple life”. Equally, she loves training, “everyday you are trying to get better, trying to push yourself, and I get to work with twenty of my best mates.”

Despite being motivated by wanting to be the best, something she doesn’t shy away from, Russo claims her biggest motivator is the people around her - her teammates and her family - she thrives in wanting to make her people proud, and is thankful that they keep her grounded in return.

Talking about her biggest achievements, she’s quick to talk more about what she learnt than the accolades she has claimed. Crediting both Sarina Weigman (Manager, England WNT) and Ellen White (Ex-Player and Top Goalscorer, England WNT), in 2022 at the European Championships with teaching her to lock into her role and trust the process, something she tries to carry forward.

It was those championships that made her a household name. Talking about being thrust into the limelight, Russo said “it was a huge adjustment.” Despite being proud of the exposure it brought to the women’s game, she was honest in saying that she struggled to acclimatise. Even now, whilst she understands the importance of commercial activities and wants to fit as much into her schedule as she can, she admits to finding the public eye draining, and enjoys disappearing into the middle of nowhere to switch off.

If there was one thing she could change, it would be the investment. “Hearing that teams lack funding is hard, seeing teams get shut down hurts for us as women, and investing in grassroots, I had the best time in my grassroots teams.”

Russo’s inspiration extends beyond the football pitch. She is making a meaningful impact with the Alessia Russo Foundation, which aims to encourage and maintain young girls involved in football. Studies show that young girls miss out on 218 million hours of sport compared to boys their same age, highlighting a need for positive change, a change that she is determined to be a part of. 

Her advice: “back yourself, surround yourself with good people and never say no to an opportunity. Be the best you can be!”

Share this article