Czech Republic builds on legacy of hosting UEFA Women's Under-19 EURO finals

The Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) aims to increase participation rates in women’s football by building on the wave of national enthusiasm that greeted its hosting of the 2022 UEFA Women’s Under-19 EURO finals.

"This summer’s event represents a great opportunity to attract new players into our ranks. We want to consistently increase the number of registered players each year," said FAČR President Petr Fousek on Tuesday, after he met with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin in Nyon.

UEFA-FAČR exchange

In addition to the development of women’s game, the FAČR also updated Mr Čeferin on the economic status of Czech football, in particular the potential impact of higher inflation and energy costs and any intensification of COVID infection rates during the colder winter months.

Mr Čeferin thanked the FAČR for successfully staging the Women’s Under-19 EURO tournament and for being a reliable and valuable partner to UEFA and the rest of the European football family.

Long-term investment in women’s football

The Czech Republic has a long history of developing the women’s game.

In the late 1960s, Slavia Praha become the first Czech women’s team to play on the international stage. The current women’s national team is among the highest ranked sides in Europe – a result of the association’s consistent, ongoing investment in women’s football.

Prior to staging the Women’s Under-19 finals, the Czech Republic also hosted the 2017 Women's Under-17 EUROs.

In recent years, the Association has also staged several UEFA men’s competitions – the Super Cup in 2013 and the 2015 Under-21 EURO Championships – with the UEFA Europa Conference League final due to take place in the capital Prague next year.

FAČR focus

Women’s football is just one of several strategic focus areas for the FAČR. Others include data and information technology, branding, refereeing and membership.

"Czech football has opened a new era for our national game," said Mr Fousek after his election as FAČR President last June, "We want to be an inspirational role model, whether it is working with young players and integrating them into national teams or in the area of sport development as a whole. We want to write the history of European football and are ready to put our best efforts into it."