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"The Summit of Emotions" is the motto chosen by UEFA for this year's European Women's Football Championship final round, which kicked off only two days ago. Not on the fringes but in parallel to this summit, the German Football Association (DFB) and its partners have extended invitations to attend a summit meeting of a special but no less emotional kind. The attendees: up-and-coming leaders ready to climb the heights of the footballing world. It has become something of a tradition for the DFB, its main partner Volkswagen, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) to host the "Future Leaders in Football" (FLF) training programme. Now in its sixth edition and aimed at young women in football and sport, the workshop documents the DFB's continuing commitment to promoting the visibility of women in football as well as championing equality of opportunity in sport. And as the DFB focusses on strengthening girls' and women's football by way of the FF27 strategy, pursuing the "Female Brilliance" project, promoting diversity in the area of volunteering, as well as on providing specific training to women about to hold executive positions, the FLF course is a logical and fitting addition to this forward strategy.

DFB President Bernd Neuendorf: "The 'Future Leaders in Football' programme underlines the DFB's long-term commitment to promote women in football. Against the background of an international event, talented and ambitious young women are provided with a platform for learning and exchange, the objective being to increase the number of female executives in the game."

DFB General Secretary Heike Ullrich adds: "We expect the 'Future Leaders in Football' programme to strengthen young women, inspiring them to bring fresh views, new ideas, and untapped energy to the table. Now in its fifth year, it is an integral part of our strategy to create the best possible conditions for women in football and promote gender equality in all areas of football. The ultimate objective is to enable the next generation to lead courageously, responsibly, sustainably, and with self-confidence."

The six-day workshop takes place in Lörrach (situated right on the German-Swiss border) from 4-9 July 2025 and features an impressive list of speakers including, amongst others, Heike Ullrich, former Wales national team player and current UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister, former Norway national team player and current Norwegian FA President (as well as UEFA ExCo member) Lise Klaveness, world footballer and three times Champions League winner (now UEFA Director for Women's Football) Nadine Keßler, two times Champions League winner Alexandra Popp, and journalist/writer Jessica Libbertz. They are all role models who will surely serve as an inspiration to 25 participants from as many countries. The great majority have been nominated by UEFA member associations where they are already employed in the most diverse functions, from marketing manager to Head of Competitions to Senior Legal Counsel. Other course "teammates" come from sport, civic society, NGOs, and sport-for-development organisations, hailing from Türkiye, India, Colombia, Iraq, and Egypt.

Over the years and thanks to the support of its partners, the DFB has been able to provide training to more than 90 "Future Leaders in Football". The premiere dates back to 2021 and was a digital event due to the Covid pandemic. The follow-up editions were organised in Jordan, Qatar, Albania and, coinciding with UEFA EURO 2024, in Germany's capital Berlin.

As the world's biggest single-sport association, it befits the DFB to assume sociopolitical responsibility not just nationally, but also internationally. Organising football development projects worldwide has been a hallmark of German football's governing body for many decades now. The "Future Leaders in Football" workshop aims at contributing to achieve gender equity, women's empowerment, and international understanding. Ideally, the attendees will return to their respective positions with newly-acquired leadership skills. In addition to their individual strengths and armed with the right strategies to overcome whatever challenges come up along the way, they are going to benefit in terms of both personality and professional know-how as future leaders.

The two summit meetings – UEFA WEURO 2025 and the FlF workshop – will become one on Tuesday, with the FLF participants watching from the stands as eight-time European champions Germany take on Denmark in their second group match in Basel, just a few kilometers away from Lörrach. And emotions will be guaranteed, too.