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Uefa Women's Football Development Programme UEFA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME National Association Projects WE CARE ABOUT FOOTBALL Contents FOREWORD 3 INTRODUCTION 5 Albania 6 Andorra 7 Armenia 8 Austria 9 Azerbaijan 10 Belarus 11 Belgium 12 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13 Bulgaria 14 Croatia 15 Cyprus 17 Czech Republic 18 Denmark 19 England 20 Estonia 21 Faroe Islands 22 Finland 23 France 24 FYR Macedonia 25 Georgia 26 Germany 27 Gibraltar 29 Greece 30 Hungary 31 Iceland 33 Israel 34 Italy 35 Kazakhstan 36 Latvia 37 Liechtenstein 38 Lithuania 40 Luxembourg 41 Malta 42 Moldova 44 Montenegro 45 Netherlands 46 Northern Ireland 47 Norway 48 Poland 49 Portugal 51 Republic of Ireland 53 Romania 55 Russia 56 San Marino 57 Scotland 58 Serbia 59 Slovakia 60 Slovenia 61 Spain 62 Sweden 63 Switzerland 64 Turkey 65 Ukraine 66 Wales 67 MORE INFORMATION 68 Foreword The worldwide growth of women’s football as a popular team sport has been highly impressive – and UEFA is determined to give strong impetus to help push the European women’s game forward in the years to come. This is the right time to encourage girls and women to get even more involved in football. The UEFA Women’s Football Development Programme (WFDP) has emerged through key decisions taken by UEFA. At its meeting in Prague in December 2010, the UEFA Executive Committee noted the huge growth in the women’s game on this continent, in terms of both registered players and participation. It agreed to support the development programme until 2016 via UEFA’s HatTrick assistance programme on behalf of the national associations. The WFDP has brought added value to football as a Since the introduction of the WFDP in 2010, the whole. UEFA and its member associations continue game has seen expansion at all levels throughout to have big ideas and hopes – and stimulating Europe. The guidance, expertise, advice and work lies ahead, with the overall well-being of resources accompanying the project have given the European football in mind. national associations the chance to put ambitious visions into practice, as well as allowing the This document showcases how national associations associations to advance in accordance with their have made this possible by bringing the programme respective needs. to life. With the outstanding success of the WFDP, we are very pleased to continue the support The growth of the women’s game means that provided to the national associations as part of the youngsters in particular have an increasing number HatTrick IV, which runs from 2016/17 to 2019/20. of top-level women’s footballers to look up to as role models. Such players are becoming respected We hope this document will provide inspiration for figures in their own right, and are in the public those working in women’s football in Europe and eye. Consequently, UEFA now has a pool of beyond. ambassadors, who it works closely with to further cultivate women’s football across Europe. Aleksander Čeferin UEFA President UEFA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 3 Introduction Since the WFDP started, some excellent and refereeing. Some projects focus on one of these varied work has been delivered by the national areas, while others target several. Each area is associations. This report picks out one project per colour-coded as follows so you can easily pick out association and describes its aims, impact and the projects by topic: highlights. Some national associations have spent their funding on different projects each year, while others dedicated the funding to the same project On-field development over the four year period. Some projects are 100% funded by the WFDP, while others have obtained additional funding from partners such as sponsors Off-field development and government or from within their national association. Promotion We hope that this document will allow you to: • See how the national associations are investing the funding Coaching • Pick up ideas for future projects • Explore wider development in women’s and girls’ football across the national associations Leadership Nine projects have been highlighted as using the best practices in their individual areas. These are Refereeing denoted by the star icon. Other outstanding projects are Northern Ireland’s SCORE, which won the UEFA HatTrick award for Best practice the Best Women’s Football Development Project in 2013, and Romania’s Football and Feminity, which won the same award in 2015. We hope you find the report useful. To find out more about the WFDP, please visit www.uefa. The report shows areas in which money has been org/football-development/womens-football/ spent, including for on-field development, off-field programme/index.html. development, promotion, coaching, leadership and UEFA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 5 Albania Andorra Growth of women’s football Strategic plan for women’s football Aims Aims has participated in friendly matches and the • To run grassroots activities for girls in • To bring women’s football closer to society preliminary round of UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 six different cities in Albania on one • To promote women’s football at schools and • Three teams were registered at competitions in day in June through clubs Catalonia, Spain (two of them of 11-a-side), and • To fund a women’s championship in • To create national women’s youth teams they gave good performances Durres • To develop a national women’s youth league • Montserrat Sanchez was appointed as • To facilitate activities in six different • To promote the values of sport to girls and women chairwoman of the coach committee and the first regions during Olympic Week • To promote women’s football through the TV woman referee was registered (Marta San Juan, • To hold seminars to encourage more channel FAF who started in the top division in the 2015/16 women to become coaches • To encourage women’s participation in football season) through coach and referee committees Impact Highlights • Grassroots activities were arranged for Impact • A WU17 national team and the women’s A 600 girls in six cities in Albania. Girls’ • The first national league, with seven WU13 teams, national team entered UEFA competitions during teams and mixed teams played matches against teams in six regions across Albania. The children was created the 2015/16 season, both for the first time each other. Some activities were held in rural areas were joined by famous former women’s A national • A national WU17 team was set up – three years • The first national WU13 league for football and where women’s football was underdeveloped. team players earlier than expected futsal was created By speaking to schoolchildren and their parents, • Two new female coaches gained the UEFA B • The women’s A team was developed and solutions were found to help the girls participate. licence Some parents also volunteered at the events. • The women’s championship in Durres was Highlight organised for 20 primary schools. Each school had • In total, 9,800 players (including 2,600 women), its own team of 10 to 15 players who participated 360 coaches (including 50 women, mostly in seven-a-side matches. There was an elimination teachers) and 150 volunteers benefited from the system and the final was played on an indoor pitch project. The coverage on Facebook of events at at the city’s sports hall. the six regional offices was popular. • During Olympic Week there was a mini- championship involving six mixed primary-school 6 UEFA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME UEFA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 7 Armenia Austria Developing grassroots football for girls and women National Centre for Women’s Football Aims • There are 14 coaches working in the women’s Aims • To promote girls’ football game (including two women) who now hold • To provide continuous football education and • To establish new girls’ teams official qualifications, including the WU17 national talent development for girls • To increase the number of registered players team head coach. There are also eight instructors • To provide football and education for girls at the Armenian FA and five volunteers. aged 14 to 19 Impact • Increased the number of girls’ teams • To combine school systems and competitive • Seasonal tournaments were conducted in autumn, • Upgraded education sessions for club coaches sports to develop not only players but also winter, spring and summer and produced new • Organised tournaments, competitions and festivals personalities WU17 teams, taking the total number of teams to • To provide targeted and individual education 13 (325 players), plus one national WU17 team Highlight and support for players in all areas (football, • A summer football camp was held and included • The feedback on the delivery was incredibly motor skills, sports psychology and sports training sessions and drills positive and proved that girls in Armenia want to medicine) • Seminars for youth teams and their coaches were play football • To prepare national women’s teams for delivered • The women’s A national team coaching staff international competitions • The project was jointly funded by the ÖFB, its • Friendly matches were played in Kobuleti in scouted three girls from outer communities who sponsors and UEFA, with promotion by the Georgia are now playing in the WU17 national team Impact ministry of sport, the state of Lower Austria, the • Footballs and other sports equipment were • The project will continue to run via an expanded • The funding supported 50 girls and 15 staff Lower Austrian Football Association, all other donated to local groups promotional campaign throughout Armenia • The
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