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This past Wednesday, the Bay Collective group disclosed the recruitment of Anja van Ginhoven, England's managerial lead working with Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of global women's football operations director. The new multi-club ownership body, featuring Bay FC of San Francisco as its initial addition among its holdings, has prior experience in bringing in talent from the national football governing body.

The hiring this year of Cossington, the well-respected ex-technical director for the FA, to the CEO role was a clear statement by the collective. She understands the women's game thoroughly and now has gathered an executive team with a deep understanding of the evolution of the women's game and packed with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven is the third key figure of the manager's inner circle to depart recently, following the chief executive departing prior to Euro 2025 and assistant coach, Veurink, moving on to assume the position of head manager of Holland, however her move arrived more quickly.

Leaving has been a shock to the system, yet “I had decided to leave the FA some time back”, Van Ginhoven says. “My agreement lasting four years, just as Arjan and Sarina did. As they re-signed, I had expressed I didn’t know whether I would. I had grown accustomed to the whole idea that following the tournament I would no longer be involved with the national team.”

The Euros was an emotional tournament as a result. “I remember very clearly, vividly, having a conversation with Sarina where I basically told her regarding my plans and then we said: ‘There’s just one dream, how incredible it would be that we win the Euros?’ Generally, it's rare that aspirations are realized frequently but, against the odds, this one did.”

Wearing a Netherlands-colored shirt, she experiences split allegiances post her tenure working in England, where she was part of winning back-to-back European titles and worked within the coaching setup for the Netherlands’ triumph in the 2017 European Championship.

“England will forever have an emotional connection for me. So, it will be challenging, especially with the knowledge that the team are scheduled to come for the upcoming fixtures shortly,” she notes. “When England plays the Netherlands, where do my loyalties lie? Today I have on orange, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. With a compact team such as ours, that’s easily done.

The American side was not part of the equation as the management specialist concluded it was time to move on, but everything aligned at the right time. Cossington initiated the recruitment and mutual beliefs were crucial.

“Almost from the very first moment we connected we had that click moment,” states she. “We were instantly aligned. We have spoken at length on various topics concerning growing the sport and what we think is the right way.”

These executives are not the only figures to relocate from high-profile jobs in the European game for a blank sheet of paper across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s technical director for women's football, González, has been introduced as the group's worldwide sports director.

“I felt strongly drawn in the deep faith in the potential of women's football,” she says. “I've been acquainted with Kay Cossington for a long time; back when I was with Fifa, she was the technical director of England, and decisions like this come naturally when you know you'll be working alongside colleagues who drive you.”

The profound understanding among their staff makes them unique, explains she, with Bay Collective part of a group recent multi-team projects to launch over the past few years. “That’s one of our unique selling points. Various methods are valid, but we are firm in our belief in incorporating football expertise,” she states. “All three of us have progressed within the women's game, for most of our lives.”

According to their online statement, the ambition of this group is to champion and pioneer a forward-thinking and durable system for women's football clubs, based on what works to meet the varied requirements of female athletes. Succeeding in this, with unified understanding, without having to justify actions regarding certain decisions, is incredibly freeing.

“I liken it to transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” states Van Ginhoven. “You’re basically driving in uncharted waters – as we say in the Netherlands, I don’t know if it translates – and you must depend on your own knowledge and expertise to make the right decision. You can change direction and move quickly with a speedboat. In a lean group like this, that is simple to achieve.”

González continues: “With this opportunity, we start with a blank slate to build upon. Personally, our mission is about influencing the game on a much broader level and that clean start enables you to pursue any direction you choose, within the rules of the game. That is the advantage of our collective project.”

The ambition is high, the executives are expressing sentiments athletes and supporters hope to hear and it will be fascinating to follow the development of this organization, the team and future additions to the group.

For a flavour of what is to come, what factors are essential of a high-performance environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve