MONIKA STAAB

Staab began laying the groundwork for women’s football in Saudi Arabia by testing the girls' willingness to train at 6 a.m. She explained to FIFA: “When I arrived here, I was told we would start training at 6 a.m. The fact that fit individuals were ready to go at 6am was something I had never experienced before. Yet at 6am, 24 women showed up eager to start training.

“I looked at these women, all filled with enthusiasm, passion, and spirit, and we spent another 14 days attending a coaching course with me, and every day they were there right at 6am.”

As her journey in Saudi Arabia progressed, Staab continued to discover more talented girls. She said: “I visited 25 clubs in Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah, each with over 40 players, some of whom had to drive for more than two hours to attend training.

“This reminded me of the old days when we wanted to play football but had no nearby club. Back then, our generation drove two hours to training and then two hours back. All these women work or study, and none of them get paid for it. They have a genuine passion for it, and they are all convinced they can achieve their dreams.”

Staab conducted her first training session with the Saudi women’s national team, registering 700 players, a true testament to female passion for football in the country. All of them attended tryouts and underwent skill evaluations before Staab narrowed the number down to a team of 30 players. This initiated the second phase of her journey to build the future of women’s football in Saudi Arabia, which involved playing their first international match.

February 2022 became a famous month for women’s football in Saudi Arabia as Staab announced the first roster for the Saudi women’s national team. They played inaugural international matches against the Seychelles and the Maldives. The German coach made history by leading the Saudi women’s team to its first victory in its first international match against the Seychelles, the 2-0 win marking the first step toward building the future of women’s football in the kingdom.

Gradually, under Staab’s guidance, the Saudi women’s team grew stronger. This culminated in their victory in the 2023 Women’s International Friendly Championship, organised by the Saudi Football Federation in Khobar, after triumphing over the Comoros, Mauritius, and Pakistan.

Once the Saudi team had found their footing, the Saudi Football Federation promoted Staab from her coaching position to the country’s Director of Women’s Football, where she oversees all development plans.

Staab then focused on establishing a new generation of Saudi female coaches who would carry the torch forward. She led the organisation through several training courses for C and B licences, which saw over 24 Saudi female coaches graduate successfully, some of whom are now involved in clubs across the Premier, First, and Second Divisions.

Her future plans also extended to developing the Regional Training Centres under the Saudi Football Federation. In less than two years it became the largest factory for producing talents for Saudi clubs. The centres expanded to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Medina, accommodating players aged 7 to 17, with some talents successfully reaching the starting line-up of clubs in the Saudi Women’s Premier League.

Staab’s future initiatives also included establishing the Saudi Federation Cup for Girls, which kicked off its first edition in the 2023-24 season, contributing to the formation of the first Saudi Girls’ Under-17 National Team, which is set to play several international matches.