Eleven football associations gathered in Sarajevo this month for a three-day UEFA Share seminar focused on female elite youth player development. Held from July 5 to 9. Hosted by the Football Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and UEFA.
The seminar brought together officials, coaches and technical staff. For Bosnia, still carving out its place in women’s football, hosting the event meant more.
Why UEFA Chose Sarajevo For Its Elite Youth Football Seminar
Bosnia and Herzegovina was already hosting the UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship finals in the same city from June 27 to July 10, giving UEFA a natural window to pair the tournament with an educational programme instead of requiring a separate trip.
Representatives travelled from Albania, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Israel, North Macedonia, Russia, Scotland, Serbia and Switzerland, joining FFBiH staff and UEFA experts for the three-day exchange.
General Secretary Adnan Dzemidzic opened the seminar, saying Bosnia and Herzegovina had shown it could contribute to UEFA's education initiatives rather than host them. The inclusion of Russia stood out.
Its senior men’s and women’s national teams have remained locked out of UEFA and FIFA competitions since 2022.
But its technical staff attended in an educational capacity. The sessions covered talent identification, scouting, coach education, and the move from youth to senior football. Delegates worked in mixed groups, comparing how smaller federations manage limited budgets with how larger associations scale academy networks.
Attendees described it as a working environment built on cross-examination, where each association’s system was tested by peers who had tackled the same problems in different ways.
How Bosnia and Herzegovina Is Building A Women's Football Pathway
FFBiH’s Senior Women’s Football Development Associate, Ivana Vlaic, presented “Player Pathways,” explaining how the federation identifies, trains and promotes young female footballers. It showed how Bosnia and Herzegovina is still building its women’s football setup.
Speaking after the seminar, Vlaic said it was an honour for UEFA to entrust her federation with the programme. She said the event gave participants a chance to exchange methods with specialists from across Europe and bring new ideas back to Bosnian football.
“It’s a great honor for us that UEFA entrusted Bosnia and Herzegovina with organizing this important educational program. Over the past several days, we had an opportunity to exchange experiences with experts from numerous European associations, present our working methods, and, at the same time, gain new knowledge that’ll contribute to the continued development of women’s football in our country.
"We’re convinced that programs like this are extremely important for improving work with young players and building a high-quality system for their development.”
Why Youth Development Matters For Women's Football Across Europe
The seminar reinforced UEFA’s commitment to investing in young players and the coaches who develop them, rather than treating youth development as secondary to senior-team success. For FFBiH, delivering the programme smoothly could strengthen its chances of hosting more UEFA education events.
The smaller associations without Spain or Germany's academy depth are left with ideas they can put into practice rather than broad ambitions. Whether those lessons translate into better results will not become clear for years, when this generation reaches senior football.
No date has been set for the next seminar, but UEFA’s rotation of educational programmes suggests Sarajevo will not be the last host.
