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This past Wednesday, the Bay Collective group disclosed the recruitment of Anja van Ginhoven, the English national team's managerial lead working with Sarina Wiegman, to serve as their global women's football operations director. The freshly established collective club ownership initiative, featuring San Francisco’s Bay FC as the initial addition within its group, has previously engaged in recruiting from the national football governing body.

The hiring earlier this year of Cossington, the well-respected ex-technical director for the FA, as the chief executive served as a signal of intent by Bay Collective. Cossington knows female football thoroughly and currently has put together a leadership team that possesses extensive knowledge of women’s football history and laden with professional background.

She is the third core member of Wiegman’s setup to leave this year, with Cossington leaving prior to Euro 2025 and the assistant manager, Arjan Veurink, stepping down to take up the role of manager of the Dutch national team, however Van Ginhoven's choice came sooner.

Stepping away has been a surprising shift, but “I’d taken my decision to depart the Football Association some time back”, she says. “I had a contract lasting four years, similar to Veurink and Wiegman did. When they renewed, I had expressed I didn’t know whether I would. I was already used to the notion that post-Euros my time with England would end.”

The European Championship turned into an emotional event because of this. “I recall distinctly, speaking with the head coach when I disclosed regarding my plans and after which we agreed: ‘We share a single dream, what a triumph it would represent to clinch the European title?’ Generally, it's rare that hopes materialize frequently yet, absolutely incredibly, ours came true.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, she experiences split allegiances after her time in England, during which she contributed to claiming two Euros in a row and was a part of the coaching setup when the Netherlands won at Euro 2017.

“England will forever have a special place in my heart. So, it will be difficult, particularly now knowing that the team are scheduled to come for the international camp shortly,” she comments. “When England plays the Netherlands, where do my loyalties lie? Today I have on orange, though tomorrow English white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a lean group like this one, that is simple to achieve.

The club was not part of the equation as the organisational wizard determined that it was time for a change, however the opportunity arose at the right time. Cossington began assembling the team and their shared values proved essential.

“Almost from the very first moment we met we experienced an instant connection,” remarks she. “We were instantly aligned. We've discussed extensively on various topics around how you grow the game and our shared vision for the right approach.”

These executives are not alone to make a move from prominent roles in the European game for an uncharted opportunity in the United States. Atlético Madrid’s women’s technical director, Patricia González, has been unveiled as Bay Collective’s worldwide sports director.

“I felt strongly drawn in the deep faith regarding the strength of the women’s game,” González explains. “I have known Kay Cossington for an extended period; back when I was with Fifa, she served as England's technical director, and such choices are straightforward knowing you are going to be surrounded by colleagues who drive you.”

The extensive expertise among their staff sets them apart, notes she, for the collective part of a group fresh club ownership ventures to launch over the past few years. “This is a key differentiator for us. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, but we definitely believe in having that football knowledge on board,” she adds. “All three of us have traveled a path within the women's game, for most of our lives.”

As outlined on their site, the ambition of Bay Collective is to support and lead an advanced and lasting environment within female football clubs, founded on effective practices for the diverse needs of female athletes. Achieving this, with everyone on the same page, eliminating the need for persuasion for specific initiatives, is incredibly freeing.

“I equate it to transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” states she. “You're journeying in uncharted waters – a common Dutch expression, not sure how it comes across – and it's necessary to trust your personal insight and skills to choose wisely. You can change direction and move quickly using a speedboat. Within a compact team such as ours, that is simple to achieve.”

González continues: “Here, we begin with a clean canvas to build upon. Personally, our mission is about influencing the game more extensively and that white paper allows you to do any direction you choose, following the sport's regulations. That is the advantage of our collective project.”

The ambition is high, the management are saying the things players and fans are eager to hear and it will be interesting to follow the development of the collective, the club and future additions to the group.

As a preview of upcoming developments, what factors are essential in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve