With the election this weekend of Lise Klaveness in the Norwegian Federation (NFF), European football now has three presidents of national football associations after the Icelandic Vanda Sigurgeirsdottir broke the fire and Debbie Hewitt take over at the English FA this January.
If on the pitch, on the pitch, the evolution of women’s football is palpable and its future is hopeful, a slight progression of women can also be seen in the offices and little by little they enter the positions of maximum responsibility.
with the Senegalese Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura Headlining as FIFA Secretary General, Sonia Fulford (Turks and Caicos), the Ecuadorian María Sol Muñoz, the Italian Evelina Christillin, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron (Banbladesh), the New Zealander Johanna Wood are part of the Council. and Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone), while the UEFA executive is former French fencer Florence Hardouin, one of the great pioneers in these tasks who is director general of the French federation.
At the national level, the number of women executives in the different associations has increased, such as the Estonian Ann Rei, general secretary, or the German Heike Ullrich, deputy general secretary, but it has been in recent months when production has begun his arrival at the highest levels with the elections of Sigurgeirsdottir, Hewitt and Klaveness.
Officially, Halldora Vanda Sigurgeirsdottir She was the first woman to be president of a European association, as Hewitt was appointed last June to lead the English FA, but she did not take office until January.
An Icelandic basketball and soccer international (37 times), and also a national team coach, she was elected last November. The scandal in which the previous rector, Gudni Bergsson, was immersed, accelerated her resignation and the arrival of the first female president of continental football.
“Usually the most qualified person is chosen, but sometimes there are glass ceilings. Over time I have witnessed cases in which women have not been able to climb to the top despite being qualified. It’s time for a woman to become president,” she said last October on the day of the appointment of Ella Sigurgeirsdottir, who also became the first woman to lead a men’s team in Iceland in 2001.
Debbie Hewitt was unanimously appointed to lead the FA earlier, in June 2021, but had to wait until January 2022 to take office and become the first female president of the body in its 157-year history.
His predecessor, Greg Clarke, also had to resign over his reference to “colored footballers” during questions from members of parliament, and the FA chose to recognize the worth of Hewitt, who at 42 has extensive experience in the game. business world. He has held senior positions at Visa Europe, clothing brand White Stuff, Marks & Spencer, financial services group BGL, RAC Limited and The Restaurant Group, among others.
Peter McCormick, who was interim president, justified the choice of Hewitt because “his experience in many different areas of business and his general approach will allow him to work collaboratively throughout the game, while providing his own perspective, experience and judgment on the issues that matter most.
“As the events of recent months have shown, this is a significant moment for English football, with a clear purpose for all concerned to ensure the long-term health of the game at all levels. I have been passionate about football from a very young age. and I am excited for the opportunity to play my part in shaping the future of something that means so much to so many,” said Lewitt, who is also a member of the Order of the British Empire.
The trio has been completed this weekend by Lise Klaveness, elected the first president in the history of the Norwegian Federation at a key moment in which the 120th anniversary of the foundation of the organization is celebrated.
“I accept the responsibility and I assume the position with curiosity and a lot of humility. I have a lot to learn and I have great respect for my predecessors,” said Klaveness, a lawyer and former soccer player who played 73 games for the national team between 2002 and 2011, with which she was continental runner-up at Euro 2005, at the inauguration ceremony. She also managed to reach the UEFA Women’s Cup final with Umea in 2007.
In 2018 she became the director of elite football for the NFF, worked in her capacity as a labor law specialist for Norwegian athletes and has even been a TV commentator.
“I think the most important thing as a leader is that we have a goal that drives us forward. It is important not only to be able to listen and learn, but also to lead,” said Klaveness, who bravely bid for a mandate: “We must be willing to try to change things, both internationally and nationally.”
Likewise, she expressed her hope in being able to be an example to follow for girls and women who aspire to something more than a career as soccer players: “I hope to give a strong signal, because it is necessary. For girls and women to dream the full dream, they must be able to see that they have career opportunities in football.”
“I feel like I am stepping into the line of many other leaders, both women and men. Football is the biggest women’s sport in Norway, and it’s not like we’re in the minority. I am proud to be able to work together with all those who have already broken the gender barrier.”