UEFA and Disney together until 2027 with the Playmakers project, successful also in San Marino

Disney’s next animated film Encanto will support 47 of UEFA’s 55 member associations in the upcoming cycle of UEFA Playmakers. The project, dedicated to the development of women’s football, has achieved remarkable figures in terms of participation and in bringing girls closer to the world’s most popular sport. Statistics collected by Leeds Beckett University show that 73,000 girls from across Europe have taken part in UEFA Playmakers since its launch in 2020. The aim is to offer a healthy, safe, fun and non-competitive environment where girls can come into contact with football for the first time, through Disney animated film stories – a powerful tool for engagement and inclusion. The feedback from coaches, parents and girls has been overwhelmingly positive, leading UEFA and Disney to extend the programme for a further four years – that is, at least until 2027. “Through the UEFA Playmakers project, girls are becoming increasingly confident in playing with the ball, while also making new friends and having a huge amount of fun. I like the idea of combining the storytelling of animated films with the exercises, since the girls are extremely receptive and emotionally engaged when it comes to Disney,” comments Eleonora, one of the coaches involved in the project. “This unique and original approach has also allowed us coaches to explore a new training method; we will remember this project as one of the most important and effective in the development of women’s football. If boys are generally more energetic in the game, girls tend to prefer a different approach. UEFA Playmakers creates the ideal conditions for their skills to emerge in a more active way, while also giving them the chance to build bonds, meet new friends and socialise.” Equally enthusiastic is the assessment of Antonella, the mother of a girl who takes part in the project, which is also run in San Marino: “My daughter plays football for San Marino Academy, yet UEFA Playmakers has made her enjoy the sport even more, thanks to a playful and engaging approach. Girls are often hesitant to take up a sport that some still see as mainly for boys; in a context like this, however, they have the chance to feel freer and to escape the sense of alienation they might feel in a mixed environment. My daughter has gained self‑confidence through a new incentive to learn better, and she has also made new friends – not to mention the clear improvements in her football skills. I would unreservedly recommend UEFA Playmakers to all parents.” From the perspective of the main stakeholders – the girls themselves – the reaction is decidedly enthusiastic: “What I like most about UEFA Playmakers is reading Disney cartoon stories together and doing the fun exercises. I had played football before, but this is different: in a way, it’s even more fun and I’ve made lots of new friends,” says Ylenia, aged 8. Indeed, the figures recorded in San Marino have also been very encouraging. Sixty per cent of the parents interviewed said their daughters will continue to take part in the project; this percentage rises to 80% when the responses come directly from the girls themselves, who also view positively the idea of registering with a football school. Over the four years of the project, 154 girls have taken part in UEFA Playmakers, a project that 97% of parents in San Marino whose daughters participated say they would strongly recommend. The pathway has been valuable on the technical side as well, with 11 coaches trained within UEFA Playmakers over the course of 12 sessions organised in the first four‑year cycle. For further information about activities in San Marino, please visit the FSGC website, while the latest news on UEFA Playmakers can be found at www.uefa.com/playmakers.

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