Having won the Division 1 Feminine a record 16 times and with eight Women’s Champions League (UWCL) titles to their name, it might come as a surprise to learn that Lyon do not have any scouts.
They’re not alone. Neither do two-time UWCL winners Wolfsburg. In fact, most Women’s Super League (WSL) clubs, including Manchester United, do not have such roles.
This is in stark contrast to some Premier League clubs who can tap into extensive networks of anything up to 50 international scouts. Newcastle United, for example, have recently recruited six scouts for South America, while Everton have dedicated recruitment leads in France, Spain and Portugal.
In contrast, scouts are a rare breed in women’s football.
“It’s all hands on deck,” says one scouting source who, like others in this piece, wishes to remain anonymous to protect relationships. “The women’s game is so far removed from the men’s game. It’s unrecognisable.”
NWSL teams tend to have scouting directors who coordinate a team of scouts but in Europe, there are far fewer. Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have two scouts for their senior teams. Arsenal have one and two consultants, while Paris FC have four part-time scouts. Their job is to watch, analyse and submit player reports for the wider…
