Svenska Spel supports initiative to increase the number of female football coaches in Sweden

Swedish online gaming company Svenska Spel and the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) have announced a new partnership to support football in the country. The initiative is called “The Coach Lift”, which aims to increase the number of female football coaches in Sweden.

The collaboration places Svenska Spelc as one of the main sponsors of the programme and football in Sweden.

Since its inception, the programme has funded Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Type B technical training for 144 female coaches. A further 48 participants have since received this charter, issued by UEFA B this year.

This educational pathway is crucial for coaches looking to lead teams to higher competitive levels. However, it has historically seen limited female participation due to cost and time constraints for training girls.

Svenska Spel’s goal is to seek gender equality in the profession

Commenting on the development, Ellinor Johansson from the Swedish Football Association said: “Svenska Spel’s commitment and willingness to pursue gender equality issues makes them a natural partner in ‘The Coach Lift’. We are delighted that they are joining and supporting this.”

According to local press reports, the partnership between Svenska Spel and the Swedish Football Association will run until 2028. The aim is to provide long-term support for this and other initiatives.

Prior to the initiative, female representation among UEFA B licensed coaches was remarkably low. In 2021, only 64 women held a UEFA B licence out of a total of 1,045 male coaches with this qualification in Sweden.

Coach Lift is specifically focused on addressing this gender imbalance by removing financial barriers and creating more accessible pathways for women to advance their careers as soccer coaches.

Sara Pettersson from Svenska Spel also commented on the decision, adding: “For us, it feels natural to be involved and support this initiative to get more female football coaches.”

“It is very important to contribute to the work of making Swedish football more equal. Coach Lift is an initiative that contributes greatly to development and is moving in the right direction,” he said.