Women's coaching
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UEFA has several programmes and initiatives designed to boost the number and quality of female coaches and coaching in the women’s game throughout Europe.
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Women's football has enjoyed tremendous development in many areas over recent years, and we continue to encourage the game's long-term development by opening career pathways for young female coaches and players to fulfil their potential.
We want to increase the number of UEFA-licensed female coaches working in the game at all levels, from coaching elite club and national teams to inspiring the next generation of girls at grassroots level.
To help achieve these aims, we have several programmes that are getting more women into the game.
UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women
The UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women provides a path to obtaining UEFA-certified coaching licences, whether for those taking their first steps in coaching or for experienced leaders already in the game.
By providing financial support and scholarships for candidates throughout Europe, the programme opens the door to ambitious female coaches who want to make their mark on women's football and help us continue to grow the game.
Since 2016, the Coach Development Programme for Women has helped more than 1,600 women gain a coaching licence. The programme also provides scholarships for female coach educators as well as technical support for female-only coaching courses and workshops. The benefits were clearly illustrated in 2022, when the shortlist for UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year was comprised exclusively of women for the first time.
By 2023, the number of female coaches possessing UEFA C, B, A or Pro licence qualifications had risen dramatically to over 20,000 - an increase of 45% in just seven years.
"As women, we often lack self-confidence, but we now have a programme that really supports us in developing our skills," she says. "The financial aspect is key, because you can really focus on the programme and complete it to the best of your ability."
UEFA Coach Mentor Programme
We are spearheading the drive to increase the number of club and national teams coached by women - thanks to a programme which uses experienced coaches as personal mentors to up-and-coming female coaches.
As an element of the Coach Development Programme for Women, the mentor scheme pairs aspiring elite female coaches, who hold either a UEFA A or Pro licence, with partners who have lived life at the top, who can share their advice and insights from the elite levels of the game.
The scheme, launched in 2019, provides the next generation of leaders with the confidence and encouragement to advance their careers by learning from some of the best in the business.
"Role models are important for young women, so that they can see what is possible. I think this is an important initiative to empower women in football. It's a great pleasure for me to be asked to be here because I think to be a coach is a lifelong learning process. I have some experience to give but I am convinced that I could also learn something."
Women's Football Competence Framework
We launched the Women's Football Competence Framework in 2023 with the twin goals of improving the standard of coaching in women's football and creating more pathways and incentives for female coaches.
The framework’s core objective is to provide students taking UEFA coaching courses with greater insights into the demands and needs of the women’s game, thereby enhancing their ability to work more effectively with both male and female players. It also seeks to make courses more inclusive and attractive for female coaches, to enhance the visibility of women’s football within coach education programmes, to improve coaching in the women's game at all levels, and to increase the number of UEFA-qualified female coaches and female coach educators.
The framework underlines the importance of tailoring coaching and coach education to the realities of the women’s game, focusing on the physical and psychological aspects of coaching female players.
The growth of girls’ and women’s football requires a larger coaching workforce that understands the needs and demands of female players. UEFA and national associations will now be able to provide more inclusive and accessible courses for coaches to help improve performance in women’s football from grassroots to elite level."
How can you get involved in women's coaching with UEFA?
For further information on UEFA coaching courses and applications to take part in the UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women or the coach mentoring scheme, please contact your national football association directly.