🔗 Share this article

Midweek, the Bay Collective group revealed the recruitment of Van Ginhoven, the English national team's general manager under Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of global women's football operations director. This freshly established multi-club ownership body, which includes Bay FC of San Francisco as its initial addition among its holdings, has previously engaged in recruiting from the national football governing body.

The selection in recent months of Kay Cossington, the well-respected former FA technical director, as the chief executive served as a demonstration of ambition from this organization. She is deeply familiar with the women's game thoroughly and now has put together a leadership team that possesses extensive knowledge of the evolution of the women's game and packed with experience.

Van Ginhoven is the third key figure of Wiegman's coaching team to depart this year, following the chief executive leaving before Euro 2025 and assistant coach, Veurink, leaving to become manager of the Dutch national team, but her move came sooner.

Leaving was a surprising shift, yet “I’d taken my decision to exit the national setup well in advance”, she explains. “My agreement lasting four years, just as the assistant and head coach did. When they renewed, I had expressed I was uncertain whether I would. I had grown accustomed to the whole idea that after the European Championship I wouldn’t be part of England any more.”

The European Championship was a deeply felt competition because of this. “I recall distinctly, speaking with Wiegman where I basically told her of my choice and after which we agreed: ‘Our ultimate aspiration, what a triumph it would represent that we win the Euros?’ In reality, it's rare that hopes materialize frequently however, against the odds, it actually happened.”

Wearing a Netherlands-colored shirt, Van Ginhoven holds dual affections after her time working in England, during which she contributed to winning back-to-back European titles and served on the coaching setup for the Netherlands’ triumph at Euro 2017.

“The national team will forever have an emotional connection for me. So, it will be difficult, especially with the knowledge that the squad are due to arrive for the upcoming fixtures in the near future,” she notes. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, which side do I back? Today I have on orange, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

In a speedboat, you can pivot and accelerate swiftly. In a small team like this, it's effortless to accomplish.

The club was not initially considered as the management specialist concluded it was time to move on, but everything aligned at the right time. Cossington initiated the recruitment and mutual beliefs were crucial.

“Essentially upon meeting we connected we had that click moment,” states she. “You’re immediately on the same level. We've discussed extensively on various topics concerning growing the sport and what we think is the right way.”

The two leaders are not alone to uproot themselves from well-known positions within European football for an uncharted opportunity in the United States. The Spanish club's female football technical lead, Patricia González, has been introduced as the organization's global sporting director.

“I was highly interested to that strong belief of the power of women's football,” González explains. “I'm familiar with Cossington for many years; during my tenure at Fifa, she served as England's technical director, and it’s easy to make these decisions when you know you are going to be surrounded by people who really inspire you.”

The extensive expertise within their group distinguishes them, says Van Ginhoven, with Bay Collective among a number fresh club ownership ventures which have emerged over the past few years. “This is a key differentiator for us. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, but we are firm in our belief in ensuring deep football understanding,” she states. “All three of us have progressed in women’s football, probably for the best part of our lives.”

As outlined on their site, the goal of this group is to advocate and innovate a forward-thinking and durable system within female football clubs, based on what works addressing the different demands of women. Doing that, with everyone on the same page, with no need to make the case regarding certain decisions, is hugely liberating.

“I liken it to moving from a large ship to a fast boat,” says she. “You're journeying in uncharted waters – that’s a Dutch saying, I don’t know if it translates – and you just need to rely on your individual understanding and experience for making correct choices. You can change direction and move quickly with a speedboat. In a lean group like this, that’s easily done.”

She adds: “Here, we begin with a clean canvas to build upon. In my view, our work is about influencing the game more extensively and that clean start allows you to do whatever you want, following the sport's regulations. That’s the beauty of what we are building together.”

The aspirations are significant, the management are saying the things athletes and supporters hope to hear and it will be compelling to monitor the progress of Bay Collective, the team and future additions to the group.

As a preview of upcoming developments, which elements are crucial in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve