Women's Under-17 EURO: Seizing the opportunity

UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 brought an explosion of interest in women’s football and pointed to the enormous potential of the sport. Key to that is building on the legacy of that successful tournament and Anne Rei is uniquely positioned to help make that happen. Chair of the UEFA Women’s Football Committee and general secretary of the Estonian Football Association (EFA), Rei experienced first-hand the surge of positivity in England last summer.

As she now looks ahead to watching Europe’s brightest young stars in action in Estonia, she believes the EURO’s impact is still being felt across the continent.

What impact did EURO 2022 have on the women’s game?

Last summer’s EURO was a resounding success and left a lasting legacy. Completely new expectations have emerged that now need to be managed. You can see it in almost every European nation. The challenges vary in every country, but the tournament gave a much-needed boost. In Europe we have already witnessed record-breaking attendance numbers in different leagues, major brands entering the women’s football sector, growing media interest is creating women’s football stars and thousands of girls have taken up the game. All this needs to be capitalised on.

Has the success of that tournament been felt in Estonia?

In Estonia we are in the build-up phase and working hard to change the perception towards women’s football and the EURO was exactly the tool we needed to do that. It hugely helped raise awareness about women’s football. TV viewing figures were surprisingly high and the tournament had more media coverage than ever. It helped change the perception of parents, girls and supporters, and we’re already seeing the results in our championship with a record number of girls’ teams participating.

How important are youth tournaments like this in giving players a clear pathway to the top? 

They are vital to the development of young female players. At these tournaments they can experience the demands of an international tournament at the European level. The impact can be seen with the senior national teams, with many of today’s most prominent players starting their international careers at the Women’s Under-17 level.

What are you most looking forward to? 

I’m personally looking forward to a very well-organised tournament with a good atmosphere and competitive matches. It should leave lasting memories for the young players who are starting their international journey here and it’s also a great chance for everyone to watch high-quality women’s football live. After the tournament, hopefully many girls will be motivated to take up the game. We are very excited to have the tournament here in Estonia. We are staging our first ever UEFA women’s football final tournament and the hopes are high. Women’s football is the fastest growing sport in the world at the moment and it just makes sense to be a part of it and to enjoy it.

How will the Estonian FA measure the success of this competition?

We have a special legacy programme for the tournament where we have set two objectives: growth in participation numbers and a more quality female workforce in the women’s game. In participation we are targeting a 60 per cent raise in numbers at the Under-10 age group. In coaching we are targeting a 60 per cent raise in licensed female coaches, including 40 new D Licence coaches, 20 C Licence coaches and two female coach educators.

What is the biggest focus of your work at the moment?

In Estonia we still have to focus on participation numbers, to encourage clubs to take up women’s football, to have a women’s football pyramid in their clubs. We are providing support with girls’ grassroots programmes, the UEFA Playmakers project and female coach education, but a shift in mentality doesn’t happen overnight. To support the process, we have invested in forming a women’s football department with people who really know women’s football and understand elite women’s performance. A wider pyramid would enable us to form a strong league system which would give everybody the possibility to compete and build a strong foundation for the national team’s success.

How do you encourage women to get involved in football administration like yourself?

Top management must play their part in helping to encourage women to take up the positions. The more women we have in leadership positions, the more doors will be opened for others to join them. By implementing educational, leadership and mentoring programmes, we can give women the backing they need.