🔗 Share this article

Midweek, this new ownership entity disclosed the appointment of Anja van Ginhoven, the English national team's managerial lead under head coach Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of director of global women’s football operations. The new multi-club ownership body, which includes San Francisco’s Bay FC as its first club in its portfolio, has a history in hiring individuals from the Football Association.

The appointment earlier this year of Kay Cossington, the prominent former FA technical director, as the chief executive acted as a clear statement by the collective. Cossington is deeply familiar with the women's game comprehensively and currently she has assembled a leadership team with a deep understanding of the evolution of the women's game and filled with experience.

She becomes the third key figure of Wiegman’s setup to exit this year, following Cossington departing prior to the Euros and the assistant manager, Veurink, moving on to take up the role of manager of the Dutch national team, but her move arrived more quickly.

Moving on has been a jarring experience, yet “I had decided to exit the national setup quite a long time ago”, she says. “I had a contract for four years, just as the assistant and head coach had. As they re-signed, I had expressed I didn’t know about renewing myself. I had grown accustomed to the whole idea that after the European Championship my time with England would end.”

The Euros turned into an emotional event because of this. “I recall distinctly, speaking with the head coach when I disclosed of my choice and then we said: ‘We share a single dream, how incredible it would be if we were to win the European Championship?’ Generally, dreams don't hopes materialize often but, remarkably, it actually happened.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, she has divided loyalties after her time in England, where she helped achieve securing consecutive European championships and served on Wiegman’s staff during the Dutch victory at Euro 2017.

“The English side retains an emotional connection for me. So, it will be challenging, especially with the knowledge that the squad will be arriving for the upcoming fixtures shortly,” she comments. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, who do I support? I’m wearing orange at the moment, though tomorrow English white.”

A speedboat allows for rapid direction changes. With a compact team such as ours, that’s easily done.

Bay FC was not in the plans when the strategic expert concluded it was time to move on, however the opportunity arose perfectly. Cossington initiated the recruitment and common principles were key.

“Virtually from the start we got together we had that click moment,” states Van Ginhoven. “There was immediate understanding. We have spoken at length regarding multiple aspects around how you grow the game and our shared vision for the right approach.”

The two leaders are among several to uproot themselves from well-known positions in the European game for a blank sheet of paper across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s technical director for women's football, González, has been unveiled as the organization's new global sporting director.

“I was highly interested by the firm conviction of the power of the women’s game,” González explains. “I'm familiar with Cossington for an extended period; when I used to work at Fifa, she was the technical director of England, and decisions like this come naturally when you are aware you are going to be surrounded by people who really inspire you.”

The depth of knowledge in their team sets them apart, notes she, for the collective part of a group recent multi-team projects which have emerged over the past few years. “It's a standout feature of our approach. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, however we strongly feel in incorporating football expertise,” she states. “Each of us have traveled a path in female football, throughout our careers.”

As outlined on their site, the ambition of this group is to champion and pioneer an advanced and lasting environment for women's football clubs, built on proven methods for the diverse needs of women. Succeeding in this, with everyone on the same page, without having to justify actions for specific initiatives, is hugely liberating.

“I liken it to going from a tanker to a speedboat,” states Van Ginhoven. “You're journeying across unmapped territories – that’s a Dutch saying, I'm unsure if it translates well – and it's necessary to trust your individual understanding and experience for making correct choices. You can pivot and accelerate rapidly using a speedboat. Within a compact team such as ours, that’s easily done.”

She adds: “With this opportunity, we have a completely white sheet of paper to work from. For me, what we do focuses on impacting football on a wider scale and that blank slate permits you to undertake any direction you choose, adhering to football's guidelines. That is the advantage of our joint endeavor.”

The aspirations are significant, those in leading roles are expressing sentiments athletes and supporters hope to hear and it will be interesting to follow the development of the collective, the club and other teams that may join.

As a preview of upcoming developments, which elements are crucial of a high-performance environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve