FC Bayern Women receive award for mentoring programme | OneFootball

FC Bayern Women have received the ECA Award 2024 for Football Development from the European Club Association for their ‘EmpowerHer’ project. The prize is awarded for special commitment to the development, training and welfare of players and coaching staff. In addition to FC Bayern, AC Milan and Sparta Prague were nominated for the award.

Bayern’s ‘EmpowerHer’ project is intended to create a framework for its female players to build a foundation for the future during their football career. The women were able to define their interests in dialogue with the mentors and take advantage of initial training opportunities to build networks.

Bianca Rech: “A unique project”

Bianca Rech, Director of Women's Football at FC Bayern: “The ‘EmpowerHer’ mentoring programme is a unique project that offers players the opportunity to develop off the pitch. They can strengthen their personal and character skills with a mentor at their side. As Bayern Munich, we have a responsibility to accompany and support our players on this journey.”

Michael Diederich, FC Bayern deputy CEO: “This special programme for the women's team is indeed new. We want to show that this can be the beginning of a new era, to have a holistic view of athletes, sport and professional careers.”

Giulia Gwinn, FC Bayern player: “It gives us a sense of security because we are prepared for what things might look like after our football career. It's never a bad thing to create a second pillar to be prepared for any eventuality.”

Bayern kick off their Champions League campaign against Arsenal on Wednesday:

FCB Women host Arsenal at Campus in Champions League opener