🔗 Share this article

Midweek, this new ownership entity revealed the appointment of Van Ginhoven, the English national team's general manager working with Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of director of global women’s football operations. This new multi-team ownership group, which includes Bay FC of San Francisco as the first club among its holdings, has a history in hiring individuals from the English FA.

The hiring earlier this year of Kay Cossington, the well-respected former FA technical director, as top executive acted as a demonstration of ambition by this organization. She is deeply familiar with female football thoroughly and currently has gathered a leadership team with a deep understanding of women’s football history and packed with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven is the third key figure of Wiegman's coaching team to leave in the current year, following Cossington departing before Euro 2025 and deputy manager, Veurink, moving on to become head manager of the Dutch national team, but her decision arrived more quickly.

Moving on has been a surprising shift, yet “I’d taken my decision to exit the national setup quite a long time ago”, she states. “The terms for four years, just as the assistant and head coach did. As they re-signed, I had already said I didn’t know if I would do the same. I was already used to the whole idea that post-Euros my time with England would end.”

The tournament turned into an emotional tournament due to that. “It's sharp in my memory, discussing with Sarina when I disclosed of my choice and we then remarked: ‘We share a single dream, how amazing would it be if we were to win the European Championship?’ In life, it’s not like hopes materialize frequently however, against the odds, it actually happened.”

Dressed in orange, Van Ginhoven experiences split allegiances post her tenure with the English team, where she was part of winning back-to-back European titles and was a part of the manager's team when the Netherlands won at Euro 2017.

“England will always hold a dear spot in my heart. Therefore, it will be challenging, notably since that the squad will be arriving for national team duty soon,” she comments. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, where do my loyalties lie? I’m wearing orange at the moment, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a lean group like this one, it's effortless to accomplish.

The American side was not in the plans as the strategic expert determined that it was time for a change, but everything aligned at the right time. The chief executive started to bring people in and common principles were crucial.

“Virtually from the start we met we had that click moment,” states Van Ginhoven. “You’re immediately on the same level. Our conversations have been thorough regarding multiple aspects concerning growing the sport and our shared vision for the right approach.”

These executives are not the only figures to relocate from prominent roles in the European game for an uncharted opportunity across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s technical director for women's football, Patricia González, has been announced as the organization's global sporting director.

“I was highly interested to that strong belief regarding the strength of the women’s game,” González comments. “I've been acquainted with Kay Cossington for an extended period; back when I was with Fifa, she served as England's technical director, and decisions like this come naturally when you are aware you will have around you colleagues who drive you.”

The extensive expertise within their group distinguishes them, says Van Ginhoven, as Bay Collective among a number fresh club ownership ventures that have started over the past few years. “It's a standout feature of our approach. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, but we definitely believe in ensuring deep football understanding,” she states. “Each of us have been on a journey within the women's game, throughout our careers.”

As outlined on their site, the mission of this group is to champion and pioneer an advanced and lasting environment within female football clubs, founded on effective practices for the diverse needs of female athletes. Succeeding in this, with collective agreement, without having to justify actions for why you would take certain actions, is hugely liberating.

“I compare it with transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” remarks Van Ginhoven. “You're journeying through waters that there are no roadmaps for – as we say in the Netherlands, I don’t know if it translates – and it's necessary to trust your own knowledge and expertise for making correct choices. You can pivot and accelerate rapidly using a speedboat. In a small team like this, it's straightforward to accomplish.”

González continues: “In this role, we begin with a clean canvas to work from. In my view, our work is about influencing the game on a much broader level and that clean start allows you to do any direction you choose, following the sport's regulations. That’s the beauty of our joint endeavor.”

Their goals are lofty, the management are expressing sentiments players and fans are eager to hear and it will be interesting to monitor the progress of the collective, Bay FC and any clubs added to the portfolio.

As a preview of upcoming developments, what are the key aspects of a high-performance environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve