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The quality of women's football continues to flourish – with Europe proudly at the vanguard thanks to Germany's back-to-back victories in the FIFA Women's World Cup, the latest in China a few weeks ago.
Impressive work
While Germany have established an impressive dominance of the world and European women's game, no less essential work is being carried out within other UEFA member associations to raise their own standards, and perhaps one day emulate the triumphs of the outstanding German team.
Exciting time
The latest edition of the official UEFA publication, The Women's Technician, highlights the efforts being undertaken by UEFA in terms of support, and by the associations and clubs throughout Europe. As the new chairman of the UEFA Women's Football Committee, Mircea Sandu (Romania), puts it: this is an exciting time to be working within the women's game.
Development programme
Sandu says the evolution of women's football gives the committee the chance to draw up a sustained development programme – with particular emphasis on the grassroots. "It is only by building a solid base to the pyramid that we can underpin the senior game," the chairman explained. "I am a firm believer in establishing structures which mirror the men's and boy's games, with competitions at all age levels that can offer invaluable international experience."
Coaching important
Coaching in the women's sector is also seen by Sandu as part of the way forward. "I intend to propose as many encounters as possible between coaches from different countries so that know-how and experience can be pooled. I am convinced that one of the ways forward for UEFA will be to establish a network of mentors who can help the 'developing' nations progress, and to encourage as many contacts as possible between the people who are responsible for coaching women's teams in all our member associations".
Fleeting outstanding
Julie Fleeting is enjoying an outstanding career – she is with 2007 UEFA Women's Cup winners Arsenal LFC and captains Scotland's national side. She has football in the blood, having also married a footballer, and talks to The Women's Technician about her life in the game, the effects of that memorable European triumph, the differences between club and international football, and the fact that success has helped make her a role model for other women players.
Solid structures
Again, the relationship between women's club and national-team football is discussed in an article by Karen Espelund, first vice-chairwoman of the UEFA Women's Football Committee. And again, the stress is on creating solid structures. "In many countries," she reflected, "the time has come to consolidate and boost club teams." UEFA's Grassroots Charter, Espelund says, will help, as one of the Charters' seven quality-related stars is awarded for what a national association achieves in girls' football.
Raising standards
Arsenal's UEFA Women's Cup win also showed the benefit of women's sides being linked to professional clubs in men's football. Women's teams are being written into club licensing requirements in the men's game, and an exciting new experiment is under way in the Netherlands with the launch of the Dutch women's premier league – the Eredivisie Vrouwen. In Norway, women's premier league outfit Klepp IL have built their own stadium, with other clubs expected to follow suit. All components, says Espelund, of the constant drive to raise standards.
Under-19 review
A rise in quality is already evident in European women's Under-19 football. At the summer's U19 finals in Iceland, UEFA's technical observers Jarmo Matikainen and Hesterine de Reus saw noticeable improvements in pace, athletic qualities, technique and defensive organisation – a fact corroborated by the teams' coaches in a tournament review.
Monica Jorge a rating of A+
