“For me as a woman and a coach, it is very gratifying to help all the women who want to play football in Saudi Arabia”

Nearly 40 female footballers between the ages of 12 and 16 are participating in a pioneering experience that Valencia CF have launched in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the Jeddah Pro Football Academy and The Futbol Office. In the days leading up to the Spanish Super Copa that the club will compete in this week, the VCF women’s football camp has brought Natalia García, coach of VCF Femenino B, and coordinator Ramón Mompó to the Asian country to showcase the Valencia CF methodology.

“These first days have been very special. We are meeting players with great enthusiasm and a great desire to learn, and with a sensational attitude. They are having a wonderful time, and so are we," says García.

“For me as a woman and a coach, it is very gratifying to help all the women who want to play football in Saudi Arabia. We are trying to help them and give them that confidence so that they continue to grow and continue playing."

In 2022, Saudi Arabia created its first women's league and national team, and the camp is another step forward for the women's game.

“I'm very happy to be able to help and show them what women's football is all about, and tell them that everything is possible. You only have to lay the first stone to start building the path, and we can all play football. That is the idea that we want to transmit at Valencia CF," says the VCF Femenino B coach, who in recent seasons has accumulated experience at the VCF Soccer Academy in Canada and at various VCF Soccer Camps in the USA.

Valencia CF intend to develop women's football in various countries in the Middle East that have shown interest, following on the heels of work at the VCF Soccer Academies in Seattle, Houston, Canada and Greece.

The club's commitment to equality and the empowerment of women has been a constant in recent years, including an agreement that president Layhoon Chan signed with UN Women in 2015 to promote gender equality.