“This is what you call investment,” began Emma Hayes. “Amazing philanthropy and someone who cares deeply about women’s sport. So, so grateful.” Nothing but some commending words from the USWNT manager, who praised Michele Kang for being a driving force behind U.S. Soccer as the American businesswoman donated over $30 million toward the development of the country’s women’s soccer program. But it’s not just Kang who is committed to this goal—sharing the same ideology is Hayes herself, who seems to have left the generous billionaire ‘impressed‘ with the vision the English tactician brings to the U.S. setup.
They say birds of a feather flock together—and no one would relate to that better than Hayes and Kang. Don’t be surprised, but the truth is, these two influential personalities are truly cut from the same cloth, especially when it comes to advocating for the women’s game and leading efforts to build a strong foundation for future generations. So when the two crossed paths with each other to have a brief yet impactful tête-à-tête, boy did Michele feel she and Hayes were kindred spirits, let alone being swayed by the former Chelsea boss.
Michele Kang made this revelation during her latest exclusive interview with revered journalist Jeff Kassouf for ESPN FC’s Futbol W segment. “I was just very impressed,” she said when asked about her first impressions of having a chat with Hayes. “I had some conversations with her as well and I just found out that she’s not just the head coach of the women’s nationals, she has an unbelievable vision and there’s all kind of aligned,” added the American businesswoman.
Though Kang didn’t reveal the exact details of their conversation, what else could it have been about if not soccer, right? Well, at least we think so. More to that, key steps for effectively utilizing the funds must have been on the agenda. Just as US Soccer describes the investment as a chance to “scale competitive opportunities for youth players, expand and improve talent identification, and fuel professional development for female players, coaches, and referees.”
Additionally, as much as Hayes remains grateful to the founder and CEO of Cognosante—a medical technology company—for her generous $30 million contribution, we reckon the feeling must be mutual for the American mogul, seeing people like the former WSL manager put it to the best use. Speaking of which—how does Emma intend to do that?
(This is a developing story…)
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