Monika took on the role of Women’s Football Technical Director at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) after 1.5 years as the women’s national team first-ever head coach. She is responsible for overseeing the transformative development of Saudi women’s football – from regional training centres and talent discovery programs to national teams and domestic competitions. A former professional player, her biggest accomplishments at the helm of the national team include winning the 2023 International Friendly Tournament and leading the team towards entering the official FIFA Rankings for the first time. One of the world’s leading pioneers and advocates of women’s football, she visited over 90 countries over the past 14 years promoting the development of the women’s game. She is also currently a UEFA women’s football expert and technical observer.
Saudi Arabian Football Federation is Saudi Arabia’s football governing body responsible for overseeing grassroots development and all aspects of the men’s and women’s professional game. It is currently preparing to host the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup, and recently announced its intention to bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The Federation also manages 13 national teams, The King Cup, Saudi Super Cup, Women’s Premier and First Division Leagues, SAFF Women’s Cup and all youth domestic competitions.
She’ll be speaking alongside the representatives from the Ministry of Sport and Saudi Pro League in a session on Saudi football’s rise to prominence in recent years. She will specifically focus on the transformation journey of the women’s game since the establishment of the Women’s Football Department at the Federation in 2019. Monika will detail the impact and key results of the different areas SAFF is investing in from launching two leagues and three regional training centres to coaching and refereeing courses to three national teams and hosting international tournaments.
