Paris Saint-Germain teams up with ECA Think Tank to develop women's soccer

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Chairman of Paris Saint-Germain and the ECA, said: "We are delighted to be hosting the Women's High Performance Advisory Group meeting at Paris Saint-Germain this week. We hope that the initiatives discussed at this event will help propel women's soccer to new heights. We at the ECA are proud to be making a positive contribution to the future of women's football for clubs across Europe."

On the agenda for the ECA experts in Paris is a visit to Campus PSG, the new ultra-modern training and education center that the women's team will be joining next January, and a group session featuring the Club's Performance Manager, Pauline Clavel, who will be highlighting the club's innovative work: "At Paris Saint-Germain, we are striving to implement new methodologies, particularly concerning the evaluation of the neuromuscular qualities of all our athletes. In our women's section, we want to develop the monitoring of neuromuscular qualities around two major subjects: calendar congestion and menstrual cycles. Through these two levers our aim is to prevent injuries, help with reathletization and optimize the performance of our players."

The agenda for the working meeting in Paris includes the presentation of the first set of results from the 'ECA Changemaker' study, which explores hormonal profiles and menstrual cycles in 15 elite women's soccer clubs. The study highlights the need for greater awareness and scientific understanding of menstrual cycles, menstrual dysfunction and hormonal contraceptives. While many players and coaches engage in menstrual cycle monitoring adapting training and nutrition, there is room for more evidence-based approaches and adapted scientific practices in women's football to better reflect women's needs and health.

Speakers in this session include:

- Professor Kirsty Elliott-Sale: World-renowned academic from Manchester Metropolitan University leading the 'ECA Changemaker' study.
- Steven Sylvester: Psychology consultant, who will share a fascinating case study analysis on managing panic and anxiety in soccer.
- Case studies: The meeting will also include a series of case studies presented by Paris Saint-Germain, FC Bayern München and Arsenal FC as part of an exchange of knowledge and best practice.

Under the leadership of Claire Bloomfield, Head of Women's Football at the ECA, significant progress has been made to address the lack of scientific study around female athletes. "At the ECA, we are committed to developing evidence-based approaches to training and rehabilitation and to addressing the unique challenges faced by female players. This group of practitioners working with women's clubs across Europe plays a vital role in ensuring we achieve this goal. We are delighted to be visiting Paris Saint-Germain's new state-of-the-art training center, which is sure to become a reference point for football clubs around the world."