She Leads Congress: 23 leading voices drive change in football

On June 13, 2025, the Reale Arena in Donostia – San Sebastián became the epicenter of female leadership in sport with the celebration of the second edition of the She Leads congress, organized by the Tximist Foundation. Under the slogan “She Leads Football”, the event brought together 23 speakers, both nationally and internationally recognized, cementing it as an essential platform to highlight the role of women in football and sports management.

A space to share, inspire, and transform

With the participation of over 100 people and an online community that followed the event via streaming and podcast, She Leads offered five thematic panels addressing the main challenges and opportunities of female leadership:

• The role of women in modern football

• Leadership experiences in clubs and federations

• Equality and sustainability within sports structures

• Innovation and the future of sports management

• First-hand success stories

The diversity of profiles—from coaches and sporting directors to youth‑academy coordinators and institutional leaders—enabled a plural, inspiring, and deeply transformative conversation.

23 internationally prestigious speakers

The congress featured prominent figures such as:

In sport:

• Reyes Bellver (RFEF)

• Irene Gonçalves (Angolan Federation)

• Garbiñe Etxeberria (Real Sociedad)

• Georgie Donnelly (Manchester City)

• Paola Florio (Inter Milan)

• Ilona Loohuis (FC Twente)

• Yanis Guellil (Olympique Lyon)

• Roberto Rodríguez (Real Madrid)

• Eli Sarasola (Vantage)

• Ainara Manterola (Zuhegan)

• Edmundo Endje (LaLiga)

• Patricia Zugasti (Unitravel)

• Oneida Zubia (Gipuzkoa Federation)

Institutional representatives:

• Eider Mendoza, General Deputy of Gipuzkoa

• Goizane Álvarez, Deputy of Sports

• Nerea Isasi, Director of Equality

• Gorka Iturriaga, Director of Sports (Basque Government)

• Eneko Goia, Mayor of San Sebastián

• Iñaki Gabarain, Councilor of Sports

A socially impactful event

She Leads took place as part of Tximist Cup 2025 and went far beyond sport: it underscored Tximist Foundation’s commitment to equal opportunities, inclusion, and the internationalization of women’s football.

During the event, a special episode was recorded live with Radio Marca, which will be distributed as a podcast to broaden the reach of the discussions and reflections shared.

The initiative “The Equality Ball” was also presented as a symbol of collective commitment to fairer sport, and the Angolan delegation took center stage, reinforcing the international cooperation ties fostered by the foundation.

An edition that leaves its mark

The second edition of She Leads reaffirms its purpose: to promote female leadership, create real role models, and build a more equitable football from grassroots to the top.

From the Tximist Foundation, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the speakers, attendees, partner organizations, and institutions involved. Change is underway—and She Leads will continue to be the driving force behind it.