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FIFA has launched the third edition of its Elite Performance: Coach Mentorship Programme, aimed at supporting the next generation of female football coaches.
The 18-month programme pairs 20 rising women coaches with 20 experienced mentors, including national team coaches like Brazil’s Arthur Elias, South Africa’s Desiree Ellis, Portugal’s Francisco Neto, and Japan’s Nils Nielsen.
It also features World Cup-winning legends such as Germany’s Tina Theune, Norway’s Even Pellerud, and France’s Corinne Diacre.
The programme blends in-person workshops, virtual mentoring, and exchange visits, focusing on technical growth, career support, and building a global coaching community.
Among the participants is former Germany midfielder and Olympic champion Melanie Behringer, now coaching the German U-17 girls. She’s being mentored by Even Pellerud. “I think I’ll be a better coach in 18 months,” she said.
Brazil’s Simone Jatoba, once a mentee under Diacre, returns as a mentor for Tahiti’s Delphine Soret. “It’s a full-circle moment,” Jatoba said. “I want to pass on what I’ve learned.”
Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer and a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, summed up the programme’s purpose: “We want to break down the barriers whether financial, educational, or cultural that keep women out of coaching.”
Mentors
• Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
• Shilene Booysen (South Africa)
Mentees
• Mildred Cheche (Kenya)
• Selamawit Kebede (Ethiopian coaching Liberia)
• Chris Yip-Au (Singapore origin coaching Seychelles)
