LaLiga and EFD renew their alliance to further the growth and development of women’s football in Sweden and Spain

The institutions strengthen their relationship with this renewal, which will include an innovative Consulting Project specifically in women’s football areas that will be carried out by LaLiga to collaborate with EFD during its strategic planning period.

LaLiga and Elitfotboll Dam (EFD) have renewed their alliance under which they will keep working together, to promote the sustainable growth and development of women’s football in both countries. LaLiga and EFD have been working together since 2018, when they signed a MoU to develop women’s football and work closely to increase the awareness and promotion of the Clubs, its footballers and women’s role in society through football.

Through the renewal of the MoU, both parties will continue to enable the exchange of best practices on leadership, corporate governance, marketing and commercial, sports management, professionalization of clubs’ structures, among others, through different events, workshops, conferences, and know-how exchange. Both institutions have been undertaking several initiatives since 2018, including organisation of friendly matches, working groups between staff and directors from EFD and LaLiga, symposiums and meetings with clubs and institutional visits to exchange knowledge and learn from each other.

One of the most important and innovative points of the newly signed agreement will be a Consulting Project carried out by LaLiga to work together with EFD during its strategic planning period on key management and business aspects such as Financial Sustainability, Development and Governance & Decision Making. With this project, both LaLiga and EFD are pioneering an innovative line of work in the professionalisation of women’s football, and for LaLiga it is an important step to share its specific knowledge with stakeholders across regions.

In addition, both parties will keep working together to carry out coach education activities, encourage corporate social responsibility and promote gender equality and the integration of women and girls into society through football.

Pedro Malabia, LaLiga’s Women’s Football Director, highlighted the importance of renewing this collaboration: “This renewal will allow us to strengthen our relationship with EFD, which is a historical league and one of the top women´s football leagues in the world, and continue to work together exchanging best practices and contributing to the development and professionalization of women’s football, especially on the club level, in both countries and the region. For us, it is a pleasure to reach this next level of collaboration with such an amazing organisation as Elitfotboll Dam”.

Tomas Hoszek, Secretary General at Elitfotboll Dam: “Swedish women´s football has played an important role on the international scene and intends to continue in the coming years. In recent years, we have established a very good and mutual rewarding relationship with LaLiga based on their professionality and forward thinking. EFD sees our continued cooperation and forthcoming projects as fundamental building blocks for the development of women’s football in both our countries”.

With this renewal, LaLiga reaffirms its commitment to women’s football and internationalization, enhancing the network and agreements with federations, leagues, and clubs across the globe, including Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America.

About LaLiga

LaLiga is a global, innovative and socially responsible organisation which is a leader in the leisure and entertainment sector. It is a private sports association composed of the 20 public limited sports companies (SADs) and clubs of LaLiga Santander and the 22 of LaLiga SmartBank, and is responsible for organising professional football competitions in Spain. In the 2019/20 season, LaLiga reached 2.8 billion people globally. With its headquarters in Madrid (Spain), it is present in 41 countries through eleven offices and 44 delegates. The organisation carries out its social work through its foundation and was the world’s first professional football league to establish a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LaLiga Genuine Santander.

About EFD

EFD (Elitfotboll Dam) was founded in 1978 and is the club association for the two highest leagues in women’s elite football in Sweden – OBOS Damallsvenskan and Elitettan. EFD works to develop elite football for today’s and tomorrow’s stars, create conditions for young girls to play football on the same terms and to have leagues with word class clubs.