Would WSL meet Fifa's new female coach rules?
In the Women's Super League (WSL), BBC research suggests three teams would currently comply with Fifa's rules. Only a third of WSL managers are female, while two clubs do not appear to have any female head coach or assistant coaches. "To give equal opportunity, sometimes you need to inject," said Arsenal manager Renee Slegers.
"I'm very proud to be part of Arsenal where there are so many women working at a really high level. " Fifa's requirements come into effect for the under-17s and under-20s Women's World Cup and Women's Champions Cup competitions later this year. The rationale is to spark a rapid increase in female representation in coaching roles.
The Women's Super League says growing the number of female coaches is a priority and is taking a "thoughtful approach" in conjunction with the FA. They point to a number of pathways already established such as the Coaching Initiative, mentoring and an elite female coaching programme, designed to improve access for women to the top levels of the English game. Slegers added that anything the WSL could do, whether by regulations, influencing or role modelling, was "powerful".
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has backed Fifa ruling on more female coaches At the 2023 Women's World Cup, 12 of the 32 head coaches were female, including England manager Sarina Wiegman. Aston Villa's Natalia Arroyo, one of the four female WSL managers, said this is a "difficult subject" but agreed football needs to ensure women are being given opportunities. "I appreciate that the organisations that can dictate what future we are building are making decisions that help women to get more opportunities," she said.
"Let's see how it works. " Slegers echoed her thoughts, saying progress has been made since she retired from playing in 2018. "I see coach educators, I see opportunities, I see at all different levels that it's growing, which is great," said Slegers.