Women's football in Saudi Arabia: kicking for women's rights

As a soccer coach, Monika Staab has seen a lot of this world.

She has already been deployed in around 80 countries to teach women to play football.

But the task that the former player takes on this Wednesday is something special even for her: Monika Staab is taking over as coach of the very first women's national soccer team in Saudi Arabia.

In other words, the country where until recently women were not even allowed into the stadium because, according to the rulers, this violated the rules of Islam.

Real pioneering work awaits Staab, who once worked as a trainer at 1. FFC Frankfurt, because the history of Saudi women's football is very young. Until a few years ago, women were completely forbidden from playing football in public. The Saudi female soccer players have only played a championship since November. And the national team has to build the German coach from scratch. “Saudi Arabia starts with the first floor,” says Staab (62). "This is a milestone, especially for the Arab world."

The first women's national team in the kingdom is made possible by a social opening that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is promoting. Traditionally, women in the strictly conservative Islamic country are strongly disadvantaged compared to men. Many rights are still withheld from them. But with a series of reforms, the heir to the throne has strengthened their status. For example, women have been allowed to drive a car since 2018. They are now allowed to travel abroad without the consent of a male guardian. The dress codes, including the headscarf, are also loosening up.

Step by step, the Saudi women are now conquering the sport for themselves. When Staab visited the kingdom at the end of last year to train women coaches, she worked with “incredibly active and committed women,” she says. “That was a huge experience. I was surprised by the openness of the women. ”And the potential of the players. Although officially not allowed in the kingdom, these would have been playing for a long time. "I did not expect to this extent how far they have already come," enthuses Staab.

After arriving this week, she first wants to get an overall impression, watch games, invite players to trial training and select around 30 athletes for a first training camp over the next few weeks.

Not a new experience for Staab: She has also set up women's national teams in the Gulf states of Bahrain and Qatar as well as in Pakistan.

The Saudi Association makes a good impression on them.

The development of the women's national team is being advanced "with great seriousness", at the head of women officials who have something to say.

According to her, the association itself, firmly in the hands of men, is behind the project: "They don't just allow it."

But words and enthusiasm are one thing, reality is often another.

Staab comes to a country where not only the hot desert climate is a challenge for every sport.

Convince the men's society

Despite the new rights for women, many Saudi men are still eyeing their previously unknown freedoms with eagle eyes.

“Part of the job will be to convince society that women can and can play football,” she says.

Staab knows that too, after all, she has often experienced similar hurdles and skepticism.

“As a trainer, that was always one of my main tasks,” she says.

Then there are the political conditions.

While the Crown Prince gives women more freedom, he takes the toughest of hands against critics.

Activists, including women's rights activists, have been imprisoned over and over again in recent years.

The human rights organization Amnesty International only complained earlier this month that Saudi Arabia had intensified the persecution of "dissidents in a worrying manner."

Staab is aware of this situation.

But she keeps "completely out of the political situation," she says.

“I have to be in the country before I can make up my mind.

I want to try to give women there with something on the way through my experience. "

She learned a lot on her first trip. For example, that she can take to the streets in a short-sleeved T-shirt without any problems. Or that the players in training kick without the traditional headgear, the hijab, even though FIFA allowed it in 2014 and it is used at official games. Staab's contract will initially run for one year. Then she wants to see further. She has already set herself one goal: next March, the trainer wants to play her first international match with the new team.