📣🌍 Strategic Sponsor Announcement: Senda Athletics joins the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit! We are proud to announce that @SendaAthletics will join us as a Strategic Sponsor of the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit (1–2 October 2026) on the beautiful Athens Riviera! At AthensWFS, we are delighted to team up with an innovative, player-focused and truly international company that is genuinely committed to the growth and development of women’s football. Senda Athletics is a US-based futsal and fútbol brand rooted in Argentine heritage, born from a love of Latin American fútbol and built on Fair Trade Certified manufacturing. Today, Senda supports the women’s game at every level — sponsoring professional female futsal and soccer athletes, partnering with leagues, teams, and federations from grassroots to international competition, and engineering the highest-performing gear to meet the demands of athletes. From the grassroots to the global stage, Senda is helping create greater opportunities for female athletes while putting the needs of players at the heart of what it does. We are also delighted that Macarena Larrosa, Marketing Manager at Senda Athletics, will be joining us in Athens as part of the Senda team, bringing her perspective and experience to the conversations taking place at AthensWFS. “AthensWFS is honored to team up with Senda Athletics, an innovative, player-focused and truly international company that is genuinely committed to women’s football,” said Marios Christos Sfantos, Esq., Co-Founder & President of AthensWFS. “Their commitment to athletes, their international outlook and their belief in creating greater opportunities for women and girls in the game make Senda a natural partner for AthensWFS. We are delighted to welcome them to our growing global community of leaders, innovators and changemakers who are helping shape the future of the women’s game.” “Senda is proud to join the Athens Women's Football Summit,” said Ricardo Gaitán, Senda’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing the women’s game and standing as an ally to highlight the opportunities that exist for growing women's football.” We look forward to welcoming the Senda Athletics team — and Macarena Larrosa — to Athens as we bring together leading voices from across the global football ecosystem for two days of leadership, ideas, connections and action for the future of the women’s game. Welcome to AthensWFS, Senda Athletics and Macarena! 🇺🇸🇦🇷🇬🇷⚽️ #AthensWFS #AthensWFS2026 #WomensFootball #WoSo #SendaAthletics

AthensWFS 2026 Panel: Women’s Football Club Excellence, with Martin Ericsson (Director of Football, 2025-26 Europa Cup Winner BK Häcken FF), Mark Swales (Director of Women’s Football, Wrexham AFC) and Dana Dar (Co-Founder, DD Consulting) @bkhackenofcl @Wrexham_AFC @WrexhamAFCWomen #AthensWFS #WoSo #WomensFootball #AthensWFS

The 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit begins! DAY TWO live streamed on our YouTube page! 👉🏼 youtu.be/8NqoRt1nESc #AthensWFS #WomensFootball #WoSo #InvestEmpowerInspire #AthensWFS2026

📣 We are delighted to welcome Dan Whymark as a Speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit, taking place 1–2 October 2026 on the beautiful Athens Riviera! ⚽️ Dan is a highly experienced international sports professional and women’s sport expert with a track record of delivering large-scale, innovative global development projects in sports. He has worked around the world in football for nearly 20 years, including at Juventus FC and UEFA, and now as Founder/CEO of MIVA Sports — a women’s sport advisory that provides strategic expertise to confederations, leagues, clubs, NGOs and start-ups who are contributing to the development of women’s sport. 🔥 Dan has created and led numerous large pan-continental projects, including UEFA Playmakers inspired by Disney, the first-ever continental girls participation programme, which is active in 47 countries with 170,000 girls participating. He also created and led the groundbreaking UEFA project — The Business Case for Women’s Football — which resulted in a huge uptick in investment into the elite league and club game around Europe. 🌍 Dan also helped create the innovative women’s golf collective Club Maia, and he sits on a number of boards of sports organisations as an Advisor and Non-Executive Director. His career sits at the intersection of strategy, participation, investment, innovation and the development of women’s sport — precisely the kind of cross-sector expertise that is increasingly important as the global women’s sporting ecosystem continues to evolve. At AthensWFS, we bring together the leaders, innovators, investors, clubs, brands, media, broadcasters and sporting decision-makers who are influencing the future of the women’s game. Dan’s experience building major international initiatives — and his understanding of how to create the conditions for sustainable growth — will bring an important perspective to those conversations. 🔥 We are thrilled to welcome Dan to Athens and look forward to exploring the ideas, strategies and opportunities that can help shape the next chapter of women’s football and women’s sport globally. Welcome to #AthensWFS, Dan! 🇬🇷⚽️ #AthensWFS2026

📣 We are delighted to welcome Dr. Graziella Thake as a Speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit, 1–2 October 2026, on the beautiful Athens Riviera! @ThakeGraziella is an international strategic advisor, capital originator and global strategist working across sport, human performance, longevity, strategic investment and enterprise development, with more than 30 years of experience spanning forensic psychology, mental health, leadership, government and business. She is the Founder & CEO of The Optimisation Hub, Global Head of Strategy, Human Capital, Projects & Operations at Evolve 1, and President of Rejuvenation Experiences at Hilton Family Office. ⚽️ Her sporting background spans athlete wellbeing, performance, governance and women’s football, with experience across Africa, India and international sporting networks. Her board and advisory work includes 100 World Rugby Legends, sports mental health leadership with EHMIC, the IKAR Sports & Entertainment Board, and mentoring through SIGA. 🌍 Graziella’s work extends far beyond sport. She works with family offices, founders, governments and investment partners to develop ventures, originate capital and build cross-border partnerships and joint ventures. Her current focus includes longevity, rejuvenation, integrated medical hospitality and health innovation, alongside multidisciplinary consulting structures connecting strategy, science, commercialization and project delivery. She also brings a powerful commitment to peace, international cooperation and social impact, including her work as Global Chair, Sports Mental Health at EHMIC, Founder Trustee of 100 World Rugby Legends and Board Member & Ambassador for UNAOC Africa. At #AthensWFS2026, Graziella will bring a uniquely multidisciplinary perspective to the conversation — exploring the intersection of women’s football, human performance, wellbeing, opportunity, investment and lasting economic and social impact, and how sport can become a platform for broader positive change. 🏛️ AthensWFS brings together the leaders, innovators, investors, clubs, brands, media, broadcasters and sporting decision-makers who are influencing the future of the women’s game. Graziella’s extraordinary breadth of experience — spanning sport, science, investment, leadership, health, governance and international cooperation — makes her a powerful addition to that global conversation. We are thrilled to welcome her to Athens and look forward to the ideas, perspectives and possibilities she will bring to the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit. Welcome to #AthensWFS, Dr. Graziella Thake! #WomensFootball #WoSo #Leadership #HumanPerformance #Longevity #Investment #SportsMentalHealth #SportForPeace

📣🌍 We are delighted to announce Marco Zwingauer — Head of Women’s Football at Parma Calcio 1913 — as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit, 1–2 October 2026, on the beautiful Athens Riviera! ⚽️ Marco arrives at AthensWFS 2026 at a particularly exciting moment for Parma Calcio Women, having taken on the leadership of the Club’s women’s football operation as it embarks on an ambitious new chapter. With significant experience in the management and organizational development of women’s football, Marco previously served as Managing Director of Florentia San Gimignano and subsequently spent four seasons as Managing Director of Napoli Women, contributing to the growth and development of the club’s women’s football project. Now at @1913parmacalcio, his mandate extends well beyond the pitch. As Head of Women’s Football, Marco is responsible for leading and coordinating the women’s department and helping shape both its sporting and operational development. This storied club‘s leadership has made clear its ambition to build a sustainable model capable of nurturing talent and providing the conditions for increasingly ambitious goals, and there is already a compelling foundation to build upon. Parma Women have established themselves in Serie A, while the club continues to strengthen the infrastructure and ecosystem around the women’s game. The Il Noce Sports Centre has become the home of Parma’s women’s football activities, and the club has further strengthened its connection with the local community and strategic partners, including the return of Parmalat as a partner of Parma Calcio Women. Marco emphasizes the importance of consolidating Parma in Serie A before taking the next steps toward competing for increasingly ambitious objectives — reflecting a long-term approach built around stability, planning and sustainable growth. 🌍 At AthensWFS, we bring together the leaders, innovators, investors, clubs, brands, media, broadcasters and sporting decision-makers who are influencing the future of the women’s game. Marco’s perspective from inside a historic European football institution — and his experience building women’s football projects in Italy — will bring an important perspective to the conversation about how clubs can move from ambition to sustainable, high-performance women’s football structures. 🔥 We cannot wait to welcome Marco to Athens and hear his and his club’s vision for the next chapter of Parma Calcio Women, the evolution of women’s football in Italy, and the strategies required to build clubs and ecosystems that can thrive for the long term. Welcome to #AthensWFS, Marco!

📣🌍 We are delighted to announce Stefan Salvatore Busso — football coach specialising in club methodology and first team player development — as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit, to be held 1–2 October 2026 on the beautiful Athens Riviera! ⚽ Stefan brings a truly international perspective to the women’s football development, with a coaching journey that has taken him from Australia to Italy and into elite club environments. He holds both UEFA A and AFC A Licences, complemented by an MBA that has served as a capstone on his journey in football and leadership. Beginning in Melbourne, Australia, Stefan held technical leadership roles at established local clubs, while delivering coach education for Football Australia. He then joined Perth Glory as Assistant Coach of the A-League Women before making the move to Italy in 2022. Stefan has worked for four seasons in Italian women's football, with Juventus FC as Academy Technical Coordinator, before joining ACF Fiorentina, serving as both Academy Technical Coordinator of the and Technical Collaborator in the First Team. Stefan’s breadth of experience across football nations, cultures and development systems — from academy football to coach education to elite women’s football — provides a fascinating lens through which to examine how methodology travels, how talent is developed, how clubs build effective pathways, and how the women’s game can continue raising its standards across different football markets. 🌍 AthensWFS brings together the leaders, innovators, investors, clubs, brands, media, broadcasters and sporting decision-makers who are influencing the future of the women’s game. Stefan’s international experience in these key areas will add an important perspective to those conversations. We cannot wait to welcome Stefan to Athens and explore with him what the next generation of women’s football can learn from different football cultures, development systems and high-performance environments internationally. Welcome to #AthensWFS, Stefan! 🇬🇷🇮🇹🇦🇺⚽️

📣🌍 We are delighted to welcome Martin Ericsson — Director of Football at BK Häcken — as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit (1–2 October 2026)! Martin is particularly positioned to speak about the strategic development of a modern football club — and the extraordinary potential of the women’s game. A former BK Häcken captain and player who made 142 appearances for the club, Martin moved into the club’s sporting leadership after his playing career, becoming Sporting Director and, since 2024, Director of Football with responsibility for the club’s overarching strategic football development and the implementation of the Häcken model across its sporting operations. In May 2026, BK Häcken made history by becoming the inaugural UEFA Women’s Europa Cup champions, defeating Hammarby 4–2 on aggregate in the first-ever final of UEFA’s new European women’s club competition. It was the first European title in BK Häcken’s 86-year history — a remarkable milestone for the club and another powerful statement about the ambition behind its women’s football project. Martin’s role sits at the heart of that bigger picture: developing people, structures and processes; setting strategic direction; and creating the conditions for sustainable sporting success across the club. He has also recently committed his future to BK Häcken, describing the club’s journey as one that is “just at the beginning” after a period in which it has achieved significant sporting and organisational progress. At AthensWFS 2026, Martin will bring the perspective of a club that is demonstrating how ambition, strategy, investment and a clear football philosophy can translate into success on the European stage. We look forward to exploring with him what the next generation of ambitious women’s football clubs can look like — and what it takes to build not simply successful teams, but sustainable football organisations capable of competing at the highest level. Welcome Martin to AthensWFS 2026! Interested in participating in #AthensWFS2026 as an attendee or strategic partner? Limited places are available. Contact us at [email protected]. Can’t attend in person? Follow the livestream on our YouTube channel and across our social media platforms. #AthensWFS #WomensFootball #WoSo #BKHacken #FootballLeadership #EuropaCup #SwedishFootball

📣🌍 We are delighted to welcome Martin Ericsson — Director of Football at BK Häcken — as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit (1–2 October 2026)! Martin is particularly positioned to speak about the strategic development of a modern football club — and the extraordinary potential of the women’s game. A former BK Häcken captain and player who made 142 appearances for the club, Martin moved into the club’s sporting leadership after his playing career, becoming Sporting Director and, since 2024, Director of Football with responsibility for the club’s overarching strategic football development and the implementation of the Häcken model across its sporting operations. In May 2026, BK Häcken made history by becoming the inaugural UEFA Women’s Europa Cup champions, defeating Hammarby 4–2 on aggregate in the first-ever final of UEFA’s new European women’s club competition. It was the first European title in BK Häcken’s 86-year history — a remarkable milestone for the club and another powerful statement about the ambition behind its women’s football project. Martin’s role sits at the heart of that bigger picture: developing people, structures and processes; setting strategic direction; and creating the conditions for sustainable sporting success across the club. He has also recently committed his future to BK Häcken, describing the club’s journey as one that is “just at the beginning” after a period in which it has achieved significant sporting and organisational progress. At AthensWFS 2026, Martin will bring the perspective of a club that is demonstrating how ambition, strategy, investment and a clear football philosophy can translate into success on the European stage. We look forward to exploring with him what the next generation of ambitious women’s football clubs can look like — and what it takes to build not simply successful teams, but sustainable football organisations capable of competing at the highest level. Welcome Martin to AthensWFS 2026! Interested in participating in #AthensWFS2026 as an attendee or strategic partner? Limited places are available. Contact us at [email protected]. Can’t attend in person? Follow the livestream on our YouTube channel and across our social media platforms. #AthensWFS #WomensFootball #WoSo #BKHacken #FootballLeadership #EuropaCup #SwedishFootball

📣🌍 We are delighted to welcome Ana Lameiras as a Speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit, to be held on the gorgeous Athens Riviera on 1-2 October 2026! Following her powerful contribution to last year’s Summit, where she joined an outstanding conversation on peak mental performance in women’s football, Ana returns in 2026 to explore further what it really takes to thrive in high-performance environments. 🧠 Beyond Talent: The Human Side of High Performance What happens when we look beyond the player, the statistics and the performance — and focus on the person behind the performance? Ana is a highly regarded Mental Performance Expert, working with athletes, coaches, teams and football professionals to develop the psychological skills that underpin sustainable high performance. Her work spans focus, resilience, emotional regulation, self-awareness, leadership and personal development. Her journey continues to evolve. Ana is currently undertaking doctoral research in sport, with a focus on performance psychology, while continuing to work directly with athletes and football professionals. She has also developed expertise in psychometrics, emotional intelligence and leadership, and works with tools and approaches designed to help people better understand themselves and their patterns of behaviour. And that is precisely where this session will go. From self-awareness to high performance. From understanding the person to unlocking the performer. At AthensWFS 2026, Ana will explore the psychology of thriving — how self-awareness, emotional intelligence, resilience, identity, mindset and personal development can shape not only how athletes perform, but who they become. Because developing elite players cannot simply be about developing better footballers. It is about developing better human beings — and creating the conditions in which they can thrive. We are thrilled to have Ana back at AthensWFS to challenge us to look beyond talent, strength and speed, beyond performance and beyond the pitch — to the human being at the heart of the game. Interested in participating in #AthensWFS2026 as an attendee or strategic partner? Limited places are available. Contact us at [email protected]. Can’t attend in person? Follow the livestream on our YouTube channel and across our social media platforms. #AthensWFS #AnaLameiras #WomensFootball #WoSo #MentalPerformance #PerformancePsychology #HighPerformance #AthleteDevelopment #Leadership #Psychology

📣🌍 We are delighted to welcome back Thanos Sarris – Executive General Secretary of the Panhellenic Professional Footballers Association (PSAPP) – as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit (1–2 October 2026)! A journalist, author, storyteller and passionate advocate for footballers, Thanos brings a unique perspective shaped by years of covering the game from the inside and, today, by his work at the heart of the organization representing Greece’s professional male and female footballers. Thanos has served sports journalism for decades, including six years as Editor-in-Chief and three years as Director at gazzetta.gr, while his work has explored the culture, people and stories that make football much more than what happens on the pitch. His journalism has also included important work examining the experiences and challenges faced by women in sport. Today, as Executive General Secretary of PSAPP, Thanos is helping shape a more modern, player-centered approach to football in Greece, working on issues ranging from player representation and welfare to education, professional development and the future of the game. At AthensWFS 2026, Thanos will join Dr. Georgios Kakavas for a special conversation about PSAPP’s important new concussion initiative — an initiative designed to raise awareness, improve education and promote safer practices around concussion across Greek football. Developed with Dr. Kakavas responsible for the scientific content, PSAPP’s new concussion handbook provides practical guidance on recognizing concussion, understanding symptoms, appropriate management and safe return-to-play protocols. Importantly, the initiative extends across both the men’s and women’s game, with the handbook being distributed to teams and their sporting and medical staff and made freely available online. The conversation will explore not only the medical and scientific dimensions of concussion, but also the responsibility of football's institutions to protect players, educate the football community and put player welfare at the centre of the game. At AthensWFS, we believe that the continued growth of women’s football must go hand in hand with investment in the health, safety, rights and long-term careers of its players. This important conversation between Thanos and Dr. Kakavas will bring together the perspectives of player representation, science and football to examine how we can make the game safer for everyone. We are thrilled to welcome Thanos to the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit and look forward to this important conversation on player welfare and the future of the game. Interested in participating in #AthensWFS2026 as an attendee or strategic partner? Limited places are available. Contact us at [email protected]. Can’t attend in person? Follow the livestream on our YouTube channel and across our social media platforms. #AthensWFS #PSAPP #PlayerWelfare #Concussions #PlayerRepresentation #PlayersVoice

📣 We are honored to welcome Dr Georgios Kakavas as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit (#AthensWFS) to be held on the gorgeous Athens Riviera on 1–2 October 2026! Dr. Kakavas is the Founder of Fysiotek Spine & Sports Lab and a leading international expert in sports medicine, sports physiotherapy, rehabilitation and injury prevention. With a PhD focused on concussions and ACL injuries in women footballers, his work sits at the critical intersection of science, performance, player health and the long-term development of the women’s game. A prolific researcher and international speaker, he has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and contributes to leading global sports medicine and football forums. His work continues to focus on some of the most important challenges facing athletes, including concussion, head injuries, ACL injury, neuromuscular control, rehabilitation and return-to-sport decision-making. In 2026, Dr. Kakavas was appointed to the ESSKA Rehabilitation & Physiotherapy Committee for 2026–2028, part of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy. He has also contributed to the major ESSKA–AOSSM–AASPT International ACL Rehabilitation Consensus, an initiative bringing together leading clinicians, researchers and rehabilitation specialists to establish evidence-based recommendations across the entire ACL rehabilitation pathway — from injury prevention and prehabilitation through rehabilitation, return to competition and long-term recovery. Dr. Kakavas has played a leading scientific role in an important new initiative by the Panhellenic Professional Footballers Association (PSAPP), which has produced a comprehensive concussion handbook for Greek football. He was responsible for the scientific content of the handbook, which provides practical guidance on recognizing concussion, understanding its signs and symptoms, appropriate management and the protocols surrounding a safe return to competition. This work has been distributed to all men’s and women’s teams, as well as their sporting and medical staff. His expertise is particularly significant for women’s football. Research has highlighted important differences in concussion risk and outcomes between female and male athletes, while Dr. Kakavas has been closely involved in research examining head impacts, concussion and brain health in women’s football. Research in this field has indicated that female athletes may face approximately twice the risk of concussion compared with male athletes in comparable sporting settings, underlining the importance of developing evidence-based approaches specifically suited to the female athlete. At #AthensWFS2026, he will bring this expertise to one of the most important conversations: how we can better protect the health, safety and long-term careers of female players — and why investment in player welfare, medical science and evidence-based practice must be an integral part of the future growth of women’s football. Join us!

📣🌍 2026 AthensWFS SPEAKER Announcement: We are thrilled to welcome back Karli Richards, DPM, MHA, FACFAS, CWSP (@drkarli7) — Podiatric Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist — as a speaker at the 7th Athens Women’s Football Summit, returning to the gorgeous Athens Riviera on 1–2 October 2026! ⚽️ Dr. Richards has dedicated much of her recent work to advancing injury prevention, performance, and health for the female footballer. She serves as Medical Advisor and Content Contributor for Power Lab, an initiative developed in conjunction with U.S. Women’s National Team player Tierna Davidson and the Soccer Forward Foundation, focused on empowering young female athletes through education, injury prevention, and a greater understanding of their health and performance. She also serves as a U.S. Soccer Podiatric Medical Content Advisor, contributing her expertise to U.S. Soccer’s Recognize to Recover player health and safety initiative. Her Protect Our Players research investigates lower-extremity injuries in female footballers and the potential influence of footwear, playing surface, strength and conditioning, recovery, and menstrual-cycle awareness. Her research has been presented internationally, including at the FIFA Isokinetic Medical Conference, helping address significant research and data gaps that remain in the women’s game. A particular focus of Dr. Richards’ work is female-specific football footwear and biomechanics. She is currently involved in a major research project examining football cleats in female athletes, exploring how differences in footwear design and biomechanics may influence fit, performance, and injury risk in the female player. A published author and advocate for female athlete health, Dr. Richards works at the intersection of clinical medicine, research, footwear innovation, and player education, translating emerging evidence into practical strategies to better support female footballers at every level of the game. At AthensWFS 2026, she will bring that perspective to the conversation around closing the data gap and advancing injury prevention, health, and performance for the female footballer. Welcome back to Athens, Karli! 🇬🇷⚽️ #DrKarliRichards #AthensWFS2026 #WomensFootball #FemaleAthleteHealth #InjuryPrevention #FootballBoots #SportsMedicine #PlayerHealth