UEFA sets new women's football coaching benchmarks and expands pathways for female coaches, women’s football coaches and professional players
Friday, September 11, 2026
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We're driving a new era of coaching standards in women's club competitions, while expanding access to UEFA Pro Licence courses and creating more flexible pathways for leading coaching talent.
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As women’s football continues to reach new heights, so must the coaching standards and opportunities that will sustain its success. We are opening more routes to the highest levels of coach education, giving national associations greater flexibility to create places, expand courses and support talented coaches on their journey to UEFA Pro level.
From the 2029/30 season, new minimum licence requirements for coaches in UEFA women’s club competitions will also come into force. Together, these measures bring the ambitions of our Unstoppable strategy to life by strengthening coach education, supporting professionalisation and creating clearer pathways for current players, female coaches and coaches in the women’s game.
Nadine Kessler, UEFA women’s football director, said: "Our message is unequivocal: investing in coaches is investing in the future of the game. By combining higher licensing standards with expanded access to education and targeted support, including pathways that help female coaches and current and former professional players move into coaching, we are ensuring that women’s football has the leadership, expertise and role models it needs to thrive "
More opportunities to reach UEFA Pro level
Central to the new framework is a call for Europe's national football associations to expand opportunities on UEFA Pro diploma courses for female coaches and coaches working in women’s football.
Where additional capacity is needed, associations will have greater flexibility to request more candidate places or organise extra UEFA Pro diploma courses, allowing them to respond to demand within their own systems and better support coaches with the potential to work at the highest level.
Options include:
- increasing the usual maximum number of candidates on a UEFA Pro course from 20 to 24, with the four additional places reserved for female coaches and coaches working in women’s football.
- organising additional UEFA Pro courses, with at least half of the places reserved for coaches in women’s football and priority given to female coaches.
- organising courses jointly between two or more associations, allowing them to share expertise and resources while reaching a wider group of candidates.
- National associations who commit to making the UEFA Pro licence mandatory for head coaches in their top domestic women’s league must also offer up to four places for women’s football coaches on their UEFA Pro courses.
"Investing in coaches is investing in the future of the game. We are ensuring that women’s football has the leadership, expertise and role models it needs to thrive."
Flexible pathways for current and former players
The framework will also allow national associations to offer greater flexibility to active and former female professional players embarking on coaching careers.
The importance of creating pathways that recognise the demands of the professional playing calendar was recently discussed by the UEFA Football Board, with the idea subsequently developed by the UEFA Jira Panel, which shapes how coach education is delivered across Europe.
Associations may, for example, organise specific courses during international breaks, enabling high-potential candidates to begin or continue their coach education while still playing. By making courses more accessible and adaptable, we aim to retain the knowledge and experience of leading players and help them transition from the pitch to the technical area.
Higher standards, strong foundations
Additionally, from the 2029/30 season, head and assistant coaches of clubs participating in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s Europa Cup will be required to hold higher minimum coaching qualifications.
Our new UEFA women's club competition coaching regulations
Head coaches must hold one of the following qualifications:
- valid UEFA Pro coaching licence if the licensor (or its UEFA member association) is a signatory of the UEFA Coaching Convention at Pro level.
- valid UEFA A coaching licence if the licensor (or its UEFA member association) is not a signatory of the UEFA Coaching Convention at Pro level.
Assistant coaches must hold one of the following qualifications:
- valid UEFA A coaching licence if the licensor (or its UEFA member association) is a signatory of the UEFA Coaching Convention at Pro level.
- valid UEFA B coaching licence if the licensor (or its UEFA member association) is not a signatory of the UEFA Coaching Convention at Pro level.
The changes build on established measures to improve opportunities for women in coaching. Since the 2020/21 season, senior and youth national teams in UEFA women’s competitions have been required to include at least one woman within their coaching staff, helping drive greater representation at elite level.
How UEFA invests in female coaches
The new framework is underpinned by continued investment through the UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women. Since its introduction in 2016, the programme has helped more than 3,000 women advance their coaching career, with more than 150 having gained a UEFA Pro licence.
The programme provides scholarships for UEFA coaching courses, support for current and former players entering coaching, mentoring, coach educator development, career forums and specialist workshops. Its mentor programme also pairs aspiring elite female coaches holding UEFA A or Pro licences with experienced figures who can offer insights from the highest levels of the game.