The rise of women’s football in recent years has pushed footballers to fight for their rights. We have recently seen it in Spain with the negotiation of the F League collective agreement or with the tough battle between the Spanish internationals and the Federation. They were not the only ones, players from France or England, among many others, also raised their voices at the doors of the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. UEFA is aware that this rise in the football level of the entire continent must be accompanied by a greater commitment from each member federation and that is why it has established, for the first time in its history, a framework of minimum standards for all national teams. feminine.
“Having the best possible conditions on and off the field is absolutely vital for players to perform and, in return, bring success to their national teams. Today we have a highly competitive landscape, so standards must grow at the same time,” warns Nadine Kessler, head of women’s football at UEFA.
The German leader has led the working group in which the former FC Barcelona coach Lluís Cortés has also participated. Together with representatives of several federations and the footballers’ union Fifpro, they have created an unprecedented document that establishes the minimum standards that every women’s national team must meet, from a full-time coach with a UEFA Pro license (the maximum) or the incompatibility of exercising this position with others such as that of sports director, as happened in Spain with Jorge Vilda.
For the first time, the criteria that the senior coach must meet are established: they must have a full-time contract exclusively for the women’s team with a UEFA Pro license. A position that will not be compatible with other obligations such as sports management or direct to the lower categories. This guideline aims to put an end to a very common practice in women’s football in which the senior coach also acts as coach of the lower categories or combines it with sports management tasks.
The teams must also have a qualified doctor and at least two physiotherapists. And, for the first time, aspects such as mental health and nutrition are also taken into account, urging federations to have professionals to take care of this. The figure of a sports psychologist is not common in many of the member federations and, as an example, Spain did not have a nutritionist until the World Cup last summer.
Beyond guaranteeing elite facilities to the players, UEFA reminds that the women’s team must be guaranteed access to federation training centers. It is not a coincidence, because in many cases, if the men’s team needs these facilities, the women’s team is relegated to another alternative location.
It has been very complicated to develop a minimum framework, since each country experiences a different reality and the standards are not the same. For example, it has not been possible to establish the obligation to play on natural grass fields since in countries with extreme climates, such as Iceland, the best surface is artificial grass.
Something that worries UEFA is that in some federations, when there are no official matches, the international window is not taken advantage of. Each concentration has a high economic cost between meals, travel… so in the most modest federations they do not always activate their footballers if there are no official commitments. Therefore, remember the importance of taking advantage of every international break.
In addition, it highlights the need to provide all soccer players with travel, game and training kits, with the recommendation that they be feminine cut.
The criteria for travel and accommodation of the athletes are established, prioritizing criteria such as: the most direct route possible, arrival no later than 24 hours before the match or hotels at a reasonable distance from the facilities. This is because in many cases the trips are made by road or following the most economical routes, even if they involve stopovers or schedules that are not compatible with those of an elite athlete.
UEFA highlights the importance of federations and players having transparent agreements on their remuneration. The compensation policy must be reflected, as well as any other performance bonuses, maternity benefits or benefits from commercial agreements.
The last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has made clear the need to improve protection protocols for players. UEFA requires federations to establish clear and safe channels for players who want to report any situation of harassment or discrimination. Other protection measures are also included for female footballers who are mothers, such as help for childcare during concentrations or access to independent medical advice during pregnancy.
In short, an extensive regulatory framework with which UEFA aims to encourage federations to raise their standards. They will invest 22 million euros in this incentive program to which any member can voluntarily join. In exchange for complying with these basic rules, they may receive up to 100,000 euros per year for each federation.
