UEFA Direct 198 – spotlight on the Women’s EURO
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
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UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 is here at last – and the latest edition of UEFA Direct gives pride of place to an event destined to give the game an exciting new dimension.
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UEFA’s official magazine previews the tournament in England from a variety of fascinating angles – bringing life and colour to a festival of football that promises to establish new benchmarks for women’s sports events in Europe and beyond.
UEFA President’s editorial: A new dawn for women’s football
Aleksander Čeferin says that in times of turbulence in Europe, the Women’s EURO will demonstrate the power of football to lift spirits and deliver lasting, positive change.
“The curtain is about to rise on a spectacle that promises to be a game-changer for the future of women’s football,” he writes. “The European Women’s Championship has written rich chapters in footballing history and EURO 2022 will be no exception.”
“It will capture the sporting headlines, put women’s football into the spotlight around the world, and, most important, attract a legion of new followers to the game – all essential to building a sustainable future for the sport.”
‘The biggest women’s European sports event in history’
In-depth interviews with key figures emphasise the potential impact of the EURO for women’s football across Europe and in the host county England:
• UEFA chief of women’s football Nadine Kessler looks at why the EURO is key in securing UEFA’s long-term vision for women’s football
• The chair of the English Football Association, Debbie Hewitt, underlines how the tournament will leave a tangible legacy for women’s football in the host country
Heralding a golden age
Silver Jubilee: UEFA Direct’s overall preview of the Women’s EURO kicks off by looking back 25 years to a time when UEFA upgraded its European Women’s Championship to an eight-team final tournament.
“The silver anniversary of a milestone moment in the history of women’s football in Europe is an appropriate time to reflect on the unstoppable development of the women’s game,” the piece explains, while speculating in wonder at the same time that eyes would surely have rolled a quarter of a century ago at the public exposure and financial incentives generated by this year’s tournament.
Referees in EURO shape: Female referees are stepping up their game to keep pace with the tactical, technical and athletic progress invigorating European women’s football. UEFA Direct reports on their preparations for the Women’s EURO at a pre-tournament course in Istanbul.
UEFA Congress highlights
UEFA Direct turns the spotlight on events at May's 46th UEFA Ordinary Congress in Vienna, when Europe's football parliament reflected on the achievements, decisions and activities that helped UEFA, its associations and other football stakeholders to confront the hurdles and unexpected circumstances presented by the COVID pandemic.
End-of-season action
The 2021/22 season reached a memorable climax with a hectic programme of European club competition finals and national team youth tournaments, as well as the showpiece Finalissima encounter between respective reigning UEFA EURO and Copa América champions Italy and Argentina at Wembley.
UEFA Direct reviews a superb package of drama and entertainment.
Women’s Champions League
The focus on women’s football in this edition also centres on the UEFA Women’s Champions League, fresh from a memorable season marked by a new format and innovations that have boosted the competition’s profile and exposure:
• UEFA’s technical supplement, The Technician, highlights the technical and tactical trends that marked the 2021/22 campaign
• How the new format has supercharged the Women’s Champion’s League, providing big numbers off the field and big moments on the pitch
Elsewhere in UEFA Direct
• The UEFA Executive Committee approves a new club competition format as of the 2024/25 season and ratifies the UEFA EURO 2024 match schedule
• UEFA Grow programme: How UEFA’s 55 national associations continue to develop football in their countries to ensure a sustainable future for the sport
• UEFA Women in Football Leadership Programme: The drive to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions within European football gathers speed
• Eight UEFA national associations benefit from UEFA’s Kit Assistance Scheme
• News from the UEFA member associations