The Chilean players\u2019 association officially became a union in December, and its president, Javiera Moreno, believes there needs to be women\u2019s representation in players\u2019 unions around the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want this movement to become massive,\u201d says the former Universidad Cat\u00f3lica captain. \u201cOur goal is to spread this to other countries. I don\u2019t know if in other places the path will be to have a specific union for women. This was needed here, but I think there needs to be at least representation of women\u2019s players within every country\u2019s footballers\u2019 union.\u201d<\/p>\n
The National Women\u2019s Football Players Association (ANJUF) has existed for nearly a decade, but in December its legal status changed. Under labour law, clubs and the federation are now obliged to engage in dialogue and negotiate contracts, benefits and other labour issues collectively.<\/p>\n
Although Moreno believes ANJUF\u2019s relationship with clubs and the federation was already collaborative, sporting institutions are now legally obliged to listen to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat collaboration was always our main tool, and now it will still be like that,\u201d she says. \u201cMeaning that we continue to talk with the clubs, but our goal is also to build our role as a union, which is not only about dealing with players\u2019 contracts, but also about the professionalisation of our league.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement about the new status, the union recalled the developments achieved by ANJUF since 2016, when a group of players \u2013 Christiane Endler, Iona Rothfeld, Camila Garc\u00eda, Fernanda Pinilla, Romina Parraguirre and Moreno herself \u2013 decided to organise to fight for better conditions for Chile\u2019s female footballers.<\/p>\n
Christiane Endler was one of a group of Chile players who decided to organise for better conditions in 2016. Photograph: Ciancaphoto Studio\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Since then, the organisation turned union has secured medical care for professional players and developed policies to tackle abuse, harassment and precarious working conditions. In 2022, the Chilean government passed a law requiring first and second division clubs to have all of their players on professional contracts, a target achieved three years later.<\/p>\n
Moreno believes that South America could learn from the development of the women\u2019s game in Europe and the United States, but that the South American federation, Conmebol, needs to step up. \u201cWe see how deficient Conmebol\u2019s work has been. We now have the Nations League, which is positive, but it came in a context where, very recently, we had a disastrous Copa Am\u00e9rica,\u201d she says. \u201cSouth America\u2019s coordination will be fundamental so that we see improvements in the Nations League, Copa Am\u00e9rica and the Copa Libertadores.\u201d<\/p>\n
A key figure in women\u2019s football\u2019s fight for better conditions is the former player Camila Garc\u00eda. She worked for years as a board member and vice-president of Fifpro, footballers\u2019 global union, as well as a member of the United Nations\u2019 Football for the Goals initiative advisory board. One of ANJUF\u2019s directors, she believes that union status is important to support players who want to take a more active role in labour negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be very taxing if you\u2019re still trying to compete and make the most of your career. You don\u2019t want to face retaliation for your efforts,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have been very open about that possibility, but we offer every protection we can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garc\u00eda\u2019s role at ANJUF and Fifpro has allowed her to connect with like-minded players in other South American countries, sharing experiences and discussing improvements for the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Argentina, the professionalisation process was sparked by a player. Players in Brazil made a huge contribution to the reforms we have seen in the past five years,\u201d she says, adding that Aline Pellegrino \u2013 who works at CBF, the Brazilian FA, as a competitions manager \u2013 has been instrumental in that. \u201cWe saw what the players in Colombia did regarding sexual and labour abuse,\u201d she says. \u201dCollaboration is a matter of time, but we need to be aware that there are certain barriers in South America, so we need support and resources to help players organise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moreno believes now is the time to dream bigger. \u201cIt was really utopian for us to believe in more than professionalisation 10 years ago,\u201d she says. \u201cWe started by correcting the wrongs, like guaranteeing health insurance for all players so they wouldn\u2019t have to cover the costs of treating injuries themselves. There was a sequence of actions that allowed us to institutionalise and solidify our work with the federation, and with other organisations in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Javiera Moreno: \u2018I saw in Chile the incredible impact of hosting the Under-20 World Cup in 2008; it really changed that generation.\u2019 Photograph: Anjuf<\/p>\n
Moreno, who is also a sports psychologist, believes the lack of data and research is one of the challenges facing the sport\u2019s growth. In 2022, ANJUF conducted a study into how professional contracts would benefit players\u2019 mental health, confidence and motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw a difference in players with professional contracts, because having guarantees meant they felt more secure, and that had an impact,\u201d Moreno says. \u201cNow, we are aiming to start studies on players\u2019 mental health to understand how to improve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both Moreno and Garc\u00eda believe the 2027 Women\u2019s World Cup in Brazil \u2013 held in South America for the first time \u2013 could serve as an incentive to develop the women\u2019s game in the region and help players connect, organise and improve conditions collectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow the main challenge is to see how every country will take advantage of it, especially those that qualify for the World Cup,\u201d Moreno says. \u201cAll of our hopes and efforts are that Chile will qualify too, because that would have a really positive impact in our country, for the visibility of our national team and our league.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garc\u00eda adds: \u201cI am cautiously optimistic. I saw in Chile the incredible impact of hosting the Under-20 World Cup in 2008; it really changed that generation. It changed stadium infrastructure, which was a massive benefit for the men\u2019s game, for children and for communities in general.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut for women, that faded for years. Even though it pushed a generation to dream about becoming Tiane Endlers, it also showed me that it can easily fade when authorities do not commit to developing the product. So I really hope Brazil and South America use this as a milestone to truly commit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talking points<\/p>\n
Change in command: After 13 years as head of Chelsea women\u2019s football, Paul Green has left the club<\/a>. Green helped the Blues win five consecutive WSL titles and reach their first Women\u2019s Champions League final. In a statement, Chelsea praised his work, saying that Green \u201ccontributed to the establishment of strong foundations and the evolution of Chelsea Women into one of the leading teams in the domestic and European game\u201d.<\/p>\n Paul Green with Emma Hayes in 2024. Photograph: Clive Brunskill\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Images on Grok: The WSL is monitoring the creation of sexualised images of players using X\u2019s artificial intelligence tool, Grok. The company, owned by Elon Musk, came under investigation by Ofcom in January after the AI tool was used to create sexualised images of women and children. A WSL club said it is guiding players on the safe use of social media. Both Arsenal and Tottenham have deleted content featuring players on X after comments asking Grok to create sexualised images.<\/p>\n Quote of the day<\/p>\n We had fun out there. You can\u2019t be disappointed with a 7-0 win. I think we can go all the way and win the Europa Cup. I think everyone in the team thinks that\u201d \u2013 H\u00e4cken\u2019s Felicia Schr\u00f6der after her team\u2019s dominant win over Breidablik in the Europa Cup quarter-final first leg.<\/p>\n Recommended listening<\/p>\n Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Wrack, Chris Paouros and Marva Kreel to discuss Arsenal\u2019s statement win over Manchester City and dramatic comebacks at the bottom of the Women\u2019s Super League. Listen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Recommended viewing<\/p>\n This brilliant finish by Kiko Seike<\/a> might not have been enough to earn Brighton victory against West Ham, but it definitely surprised goalkeeper Kinga Szemik.<\/p>\n Still want more?<\/p>\n Ex-USWNT star Abby Wambach has left the Wasserman agency after emails from its founder to Ghislaine Maxwell<\/a> appeared in the Epstein files.<\/p>\n \u201cA massive own goal\u201d: Eni Aluko has damaged her legacy<\/a> with her latest attack on Ian Wright, writes Suzanne Wrack.<\/p>\n Suzanne was also in Leuven to see Arsenal take charge<\/a> of their Champions League playoff tie, while Real Madrid fought back to win 3-2 at Paris FC.<\/p>\n Chloe Kelly celebrates during Arsenal\u2019s win. Photograph: Simon Wohlfahrt\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n And USWNT midfielders Croix Bethune and Claire Hutton have both moved clubs in a pair of blockbuster $1m NWSL trades<\/a>.<\/p>\n