Arianne Risso tells us of the challenges faced in women’s football in Gibraltar

Following on in our special feature reports on Gibraltar football we look at women’s football. Gibraltar this coming days will be playing Croatia. Coincidence has brought an interesting mix as Gibraltar’s latest national team coach, the first female head coach for the women’s national team, a former Croatian international herself, faces her home nation in what will be just Gibraltar’s third World Cup European qualifier group match in its history. Ahead of this match we had a chance to delve deeper into the challenges women’s football in Gibraltar faces and how this contrast with that of the men.
Arianne Risso, the Women’s Football Development officer, since taking over the role has been instrumental in developing further the foundations from which Gibraltar women’s football for the first time not only now plays in official competitive international matches, but has slowly been establishing its own foundations as a safe and growing environment for girls, and women, to play the game. Chronicle sports reporter Stephen Ignacio spoke to Arianne Risso to get an insight into what the challenges are.

Unlike men’s football, which culturally develops from a young age through to senior level almost seamlessly—and often without the need for initial guidance from an association—you find that in women’s football you first have to build that cultural backbone so it too can become seamless. How difficult is this? How challenging is it to not only develop the sport, but also shape the attitudes and social environment needed for it to become normal?
It’s definitely challenging but also really rewarding.
With women’s football, you’re not just developing the game itself, you’re building the culture and social environment around it too. That means creating opportunities while also helping shift mindsets and normalise the sport for girls here in Gibraltar from a young age.
In Gibraltar especially, that’s a big part of the work I do. Traditionally, most young boys grow up seeing football as the natural sport to play, playing in the park, with friends, constantly being around the game. Whereas young girls don’t always have that same thought or exposure. So it’s important to actively change that perception, and I do feel that’s slowly starting to happen.
It takes time, because you’re not just developing players, you’re influencing how the game is viewed within the community. But as more people are exposed to women’s football, whether that’s through our GFA Girls teams, grassroots programmes, events, or the national team, those attitudes continue to shift.
It definitely takes time and patience, but once that mindset begins to change and more girls see football as something for them, the game can really start to grow in a more natural and sustainable way.

When you took over the reins of women’s football, some groundwork had already been laid to provide a grassroots foundation—initiatives such as Fun Fridays and youth teams participating in youth leagues, for example. However, these had not yet fully established a broader mindset where girls felt it was “okay” to play football. Now, with events such as the one held at Casemates, it is becoming far more common. How tough has it been to achieve this, and what has it required from you?
It’s definitely been a challenge, because while there was already some really good groundwork in place, the bigger task as mentioned before has been shifting the mindset around the game and keeping that momentum going.
Programmes like Fun Fridays and the introduction of our GFA Girls youth teams were really important first steps, but changing the perception, where girls feel it’s completely normal to play football, this takes time and consistency. A lot of the focus has been on creating more visibility, more opportunities, and making the environment as welcoming and accessible as possible for young girls and their families.
The Disney Playmakers event we hosted at Casemates, supported by UEFA, was a really big moment for that. It brought football into such a central, public space and presented it in a fun, engaging, and non-intimidating way for young girls. Seeing so many girls taking part, enjoying themselves, and being introduced to the game through something familiar like Disney really helped break down barriers. It also gave parents the chance to see firsthand how positive and inclusive the environment is, which is just as important.
I definitely also think the national team now competing on the international stage has had a massive impact. It’s given young girls and parents too, something real to connect with. They can see what’s possible, they recognise the players, and it makes women’s football feel more established here in Gibraltar.
Personally, it’s required a lot of patience, persistence, and a real focus on building that connection with the community. But you can really see the shift happening now, more girls wanting to play, more GFA Girls teams being created each year, and more parents actively encouraging their daughters to get involved, which is exactly what we want.
We’re seeing increased interest at younger ages, more consistent attendance in our programmes, and a stronger commitment from players as they progress through the pathway. Parents are also becoming more supportive and engaged, recognising the opportunities the game can offer their daughters, both on and off the pitch. All of this shows that the perception is changing, and that we’re building a much stronger and more sustainable future for women’s football in Gibraltar.

As we have seen this season, there are two very different levels of football you need to manage: those you are introducing to the sport, and those already involved who are dedicated and aspire to go professional. How do you balance these pathways without losing momentum in either?
It’s about finding the right balance and making sure both ends of the pathway are connected rather than seen as separate in my opinion.
In my role, I’m working closely with the national team players, who are already at a high level, dedicated, and pushing to go even further, while at the same time overseeing the grassroots side through programmes like Playmakers, Fun Fridays, our GFA Girls teams and even the Gibraltar Women’s Football League. So I’m constantly working across both ends of the game, from grassroots right through to the national team.
The key is making sure there’s a clear pathway between the two. The younger girls coming through need to see what’s possible, and the national team provides that inspiration and end goal. At the same time, we have to keep investing in those early experiences, because that’s where everything starts.
I’m also really fortunate to have a great team around me. It of course requires organisation, consistency, and a clear vision across all levels. Whether it’s a girl attending her first Playmakers session or one of our national team players representing Gibraltar at a world cup qualifying game, they’re all part of the same journey.
I feel if you get that connection right, both sides will continue to naturally grow together.

When Gibraltar entered UEFA, many attempted to apply the same policies to women’s football as had been used for the men’s game. However, as we have seen, this approach did not fully work, as it overlooked the fundamental issue of growing the game at grassroots level to build long-term momentum. Do you think this demonstrates that women’s football is unique, with its own framework and principles that should be followed, rather than replicating what worked for men’s football?
I do think it highlights that women’s football has its own challenges and needs to be approached in a slightly different way, especially in a place like Gibraltar.
When we entered UEFA, it was natural to look at what had worked on the men’s side and try to apply similar structures. But the reality is that the starting point is very different. On the men’s side, there’s already a strong football culture from a young age, whereas in women’s football, particularly in Gibraltar, you’re still building that foundation and, importantly, shifting the general mindset around the game.
That’s why the grassroots element is so important. You can’t just focus on the top end, you need to grow participation, create visibility, and make football feel like a normal and accessible option for young girls. A lot of the work has been around changing that perception within the community, and as I’ve mentioned before, I do feel that’s starting to shift.
So, while there are definitely lessons you can take from the men’s game, women’s football here needs its own approach one that recognises where we are, what are the different challenges we face, and what’s needed to build something sustainable for the future.

We have seen how sports such as netball have succeeded by creating their own environment—safe, familiar, and competitive. Can women’s football learn from this model?
I think there are definitely things women’s football can learn from that, especially in Gibraltar.
Sports like netball have created an environment where girls feel comfortable and naturally get involved from a young age, something you can really see at school level, and which is something we’re also trying to implement more within schools for football.
Even from my own experience, when I was in school, football wasn’t really presented as an option for girls. I remember in middle school being separated, where the boys would go outside to play football, while the girls stayed inside to play netball.
That’s exactly the kind of mindset and structure we have and will continue trying to shift, making sure girls are given the same exposure and opportunity to play football from a young age. By introducing football more consistently in schools, we can start to normalise it in the same way netball has been, so that future generations of girls grow up seeing football as just as natural an option.
For women’s football, it’s about building that same sense of familiarity, while also developing clear pathways within the game. So we can take elements from that model, but adapt it to our own context here in Gibraltar.

While the game is becoming more competitive, and Gibraltar’s top tier shows clear talent, there remains a need to focus on grassroots development. Unlike boys’ football, which often has a stronger presence outside the formal setting, girls’ football is still developing as a recreational activity. This can slow the process of learning the basics. Coupled with the social aspect—where some girls may not yet feel entirely comfortable playing recreationally—how do you compensate to ensure players still reach the appropriate level?
It’s definitely something we’re very aware of, and it does present its challenges.
As I mentioned before, with boys a lot of their development happens naturally outside of structured sessions playing in the park, with friends, constantly being around the game. With girls, especially in Gibraltar, that recreational side is still growing, so we have to be more intentional in how we support their development.
A big part of that is increasing contact time with the ball through our structured sessions, making sure training environments are engaging, consistent, and focused on the basics. At the same time, we place a lot of importance on creating a positive and supportive environment, so girls feel comfortable and confident, which helps encourage them to play more, hopefully even outside of our sessions.

You also face the challenge that girls often enter senior-level football more quickly. This is not only due to a lack of age categories—largely because of participation numbers—but also because progression into senior football is more accessible for the same reason. How do you manage to accelerate player development so they can enter senior football prepared and confident?
It’s definitely a unique challenge, but also a great opportunity if it’s managed in the right way.
In our case, one of the ways we’ve approached this is through our GFA Girls U16 team, who have entered both the Gibraltar Women’s Football League (GWFL) whilst still competing in the mixed youth leagues. At the same time, we also have U16 players within other clubs who are already playing senior football, so there are multiple pathways for young players to gain that experience.
For our GFA Girls U16s, they play one match during the week in the GWFL against women, and then on weekends they compete in the U14 youth league, mainly against boys. This means they’re getting regular, varied exposure to different types of football.
This setup means they’re often playing around two matches a week, gaining valuable experience, confidence, and understanding of the game. They’re able to compete, learn, and even win games at senior level, which is really important for their development. It also benefits the GWF league by adding another competitive team.
At the same time, we’re very mindful of making sure the players stepping into this environment are ready, both physically and mentally. Most of them have been part of the GFA Girls system for a number of years, so they already have a strong foundation before making that step up.
We’re also very fortunate to have Shania Robba, captain of our Women’s National Team, who is also a qualified sports psychologist when she’s not leading our national team. She works closely with these players, which is a massive opportunity for them. They’re not only receiving psychological support off the pitch, but also learning from someone who has experienced many of the same challenges they are currently facing. Having that kind of guidance from a role model like Shania adds huge value to their development, both as players and as individuals.
The aim is that by the time they come through the U16 team that play in both the u14 league and GWFL, they are fully prepared to join one of the existing Women’s clubs. We’ve given them the foundation to step into a women’s team at around 16 feeling confident, ready, and able to compete.

What areas and programmes have you introduced that you feel have the potential to be developed even further? And what additional initiatives are you aiming to implement as the game continues to grow?
A lot of the programmes we currently have in place were already introduced before I stepped into the role, but I came in at a very early stage where I was able to take them on, adapt them, and continue developing them to better support the growth of the women’s game. That’s something that will always be ongoing, constantly reviewing, improving, and building on what’s already there.
Programmes like Fun Fridays, and our GFA Girls pathway all have strong foundations, but there’s still a lot of potential to expand them further, especially in terms of increasing participation.
One of the more recent initiatives I’ve been really proud to be part of introducing is the Player Ambassador Programme for players in the GWFL and Women’s Rock Cup. The aim of this programme is to elevate the women’s game by increasing visibility, encouraging professionalism attitude, and supporting the players and their development both on and off the pitch.
This current season has been a pilot year, as it’s the first time we’ve officially run the programme, and it’s been a really valuable learning experience. I’ve taken a lot from it in terms of what can be improved and developed further. Moving into next season, the plan is to sit down with the clubs, review how it’s gone, and look at how we can strengthen the programme to increase both participation and commitment across our women’s players in the local league.
The Disney Playmakers events have also been a really positive and rewarding initiative for us that we plan on continuing to grow and adapt to keep encouraging girls to get into and play football from a young age.
So far, we’ve run two events at Casemates, and the response has been fantastic. It’s been a great way to introduce young girls to football in a fun, engaging, and non-intimidating environment, especially for those who may not have considered playing before.
What’s been particularly rewarding is seeing the impact beyond the events themselves. We’ve already had girls who first attended a Playmakers session go on to join our Fun Fridays sessions, and even progress into our Girls Development Centre. That shows the programme is not just a one-off experience, but a real entry point into the pathway.
It’s definitely an initiative that has helped increase participation, and it’s something we’re really keen to build on. The plan is to run around five events a year, continuing to grow its reach and create more opportunities for young girls to get involved in the game.

Finally, when you reflect on where the game was when you started and where it is now, what do you say to yourself?
When I reflect on where the game was when I first started compared to where it is now, it’s something that makes me really proud.
When I came into the role, there was a lot to do, for example the Playmakers programme and the Girls Development Centre didn’t exist. We did have a solid base to base to build from, but a lot of the pathway still needed to be created.
For me, one of the most special and fulfilling parts has been being a part of our women’s national team playing on the international stage. People might not always realise it, but I share in those emotions with the players. Watching them step out for their first Nations League game last February is a moment I will cherish forever.
To see how far the game has come, to the point where our players now have complete pathways available, from beginning a girls football journey as a toddler, all the way through to representing Gibraltar internationally is something I’ll always be proud to have played a part in.
Alongside that, seeing the growth at youth level, more girls getting involved, more teams being formed, and a clear pathway now in place really shows the progress that’s been made. There’s still a long journey ahead, but those moments remind you just how meaningful the work has been.