Think Football 2019: "An honour and an immense privilege to speak" (Fatma Samoura, FIFA)
"It is always an honour and a great privilege to speak in front of a crowd of specialists and football enthusiasts as only Think Football knows how to gather, especially as France prepares to host the best FIFA Women's World Cup of all time (from 07/06 to 07/07/2019)," stated FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura, who will participate in the third edition of Think Football, the annually recurring one-day event organized by by News Tank Football, with this year's edition at INSEEC U. Sport (Eiffel Campus, 10 rue Sextius Michel, Paris) on Thursday 07/02/2019.
"I look forward to speaking not only about this upcoming FIFA 2019 World Cup, but also about the less visible aspects of women's football, including the football development process as planned in our new strategy for women's football launched in October 2018," added Fatma Samoura in a message to News Tank Football.
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Think Football 2019: Fatma Samoura will deliver a welcome message before participating in the first grand debate "Women as the future of sport"
• At four months, to the day, ahead of the opening match of the 2019 Women's World Cup (France - South Korea, Group A, at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Friday 07/06/2019), and just five months away from the final (at Groupama Stadium in Lyon, on 07/07/2019), Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General since 20/06/2016, Brigitte Henriques, deputy vice-president of the French Football Federation since 18/03/2017, and Béatrice Barbusse, sociologist and general secretary of the French Handball Federation, will take part in a grand debate on the theme "Women as the future of sport".
• Nathalie Iannetta, a former journalist at Canal+ and former adviser to François Hollande at the Élysée, and now associate director of the consulting and communication agency "2017", will lead and moderate this 100% female debate, on 07/02/2019.
• Before this debate session, Fatma Samoura, as guest of honor, will deliver a welcome message at the opening of Think Football 2019.
• Fatma Samoura will follow, at the podium, the ambassador of this third edition of Think Football, the former French international Laura Georges, now general secretary of the FFF.
Fatma Samoura already present at Think Football 2018
- "With 160,000 licensees, France is emerging as a model for the development of women's football. Do you know that in Nigeria, where the population is three times larger, there are only 20,000 licensed (female players)?," said Fatma Samoura, general secretary of FIFA, already present at the previous edition of Think Football, on 01/02/2018.
- "I am grateful to Mr Infantino (president of FIFA) for the nomination of my compatriot Fatma Samoura as FIFA secretary general, and Africa, and more particularly Senegal, are extremely proud that Ms. Samoura is at the head of the administration of world football," stated Macky Sall, President of Senegal, in receiving the leaders of the international football federation on 08/01/2019.