Page 3 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.15 2022-23

The Football Association of Wales are delighted to
confirm Wales manager Gemma Grainger has
signed a two-year contract extension until 2027,
taking the team through the qualifying campaigns
for UEFA EURO 2025 and FIFA World Cup 2027.
Grainger, who was appointed manager in
March 2021, guided Wales to within touching
distance of reaching a major tournament for the first
time in her first qualifying campaign in charge.
After finishing second in their 2023 FIFA
Women's World Cup qualifying group, Wales
narrowly missed out on a place in the finals
following a last minute defeat in the play-off final
against Switzerland.
The contract extension comes following a
successful 2022 in a year that saw a record crowd of
15,200 in attendance at Cardiff City Stadium for the play-off semi final win over Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Speaking on the extension, Grainger said: “I’m delighted to have signed a new contract
and extend my journey working with this special group of players. I’m an ambitious coach,
these players are ambitious and the FAW are ambitious, so all those things are a great match.
“We want to drive our progress and momentum from the last qualifying campaign, both
on and off the pitch, and take that forward into the new year and the next two qualifying
campaigns.”
FAW CEO Noel Mooney said: "We have made huge strides with the Women’s National
Team and our focus now is firmly on qualifying for UEFA EURO 2025 and the 2027 FIFA
World Cup.
“This group has captured the imagination of the Welsh public and we have no doubt
they will break new glass ceilings for Welsh football in the coming years."
FAW Chief Football Officer David Adams added: "Gemma has demonstrated her ability
to effectively develop this talented team, and during the World Cup qualification campaign
we have seen tremendous progress both on and off the field.
“We are confident Gemma can continue this process as we aim to qualify for the
Women’s European Championships and use this as a catalyst to continue to increase
participation across Cymru."
Gemma Grainger’s Wales side will start 2023 in Spain by taking part in the Pinatar Cup
in February.
The competition will be a four-team round robin format, with Wales facing the
Philippines (Wednesday 15th February), Iceland (Saturday 18th February) and Scotland
(Tuesday 21st February). Grainger’s side took part in the tournament last year, finishing
fourth in an eight-team tournament.
Wales will use the matches to begin preparations for the 2025 UEFA Women’s EURO
qualifying campaign, which will begin later in the year (draw date Spring 2023).
All matches will take place in the Pinatar Arena, with free entry for fans. Kick off times
and broadcast details will be confirmed in due course.
Photo by Will Cheshire
news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk