The second edition of the program ‘The Second Half’ arrives in Spain

After the competition, there is also soccer. That is why players do not lose sight of the fact that, when their careers on the pitch are over, a very interesting panorama of professional options will open up to continue applying all their knowledge. Hence the launch of the second edition of the The Second Half in Spain, a plan set to count for the first time in League F. This initiative, created by Visais a professional development program aimed at assisting current and former players in their professional careers once they retire from football.

After the success of the first edition launched in Spain in September 2021, where more than 20 players and former players from 10 first division clubs registered, Visa returns this time with Liga F after establishing it as a professional league of women in Spain.

Through The Second Half, Visa and Liga F will help players apply the skills and knowledge acquired as soccer players during their active time on the pitch in other professional areas. This assistance will be realized through training, in collaboration with the LaLiga Education Department – LaLiga Business School – in areas such as financial education, professional career planning, personal branding, communication and leadership skills, among others.

Bea Larregle, Regional Managing Director of Visa in Southern Europe, said: “Once again, we want to promote sport as a platform to promote equality and empower women. For this reason, at Visa we are delighted to continue to offer players the access and tools they need to complete their professional transition once they hang up their boots. In addition, we are delighted to be able to launch a second edition of The Second Half with Liga F, leading the professionalization of women’s football in Spain”.

Beatriz Alvarez Mesa, President of Liga F, he also emphasized that: “We believe in sport as a lever for shaping and changing society and we consider the comprehensive care and training of our players as a priority. Together with Visa and LaLiga Business School, we have the opportunity to offer them advice and training so that when they decide to end their career as footballers, they can continue with their working life. I am firmly convinced that in football and in sports skills, the attitudes and skills are acquired such as teamwork, leadership, communication or emotional control that can have a perfect positive impact and reflection on the personal and work life of the players when they stop practicing sports. We are glad in this initiative and we will continue to work on these types of projects”.

For Jose Moya, director of the LaLiga Business School, “LaLiga, through its Education Department, is 100% committed to education, and this course is another example of this. The goal we have set ourselves is to share all our management expertise with professional League F players to help them in their personal and professional growth”.

After being the second country, after the United Kingdom, to launch this program, The Second Half has been put together in Spain at an important moment for women’s football at a national level, with greater professionalism, visibility both in the media and to the general population and more support from brands like Visa.

Sport as a platform to promote equality

This project is part of Visa’s broad commitment to promote equality, acceptance and inclusion in all aspects of society, where sport plays a very relevant role as a lever to empower women in the personal and professional sphere. Without further ado, according to the “Women who thrive on and off the pitch” report conducted by Visa, 61% of female executives who practice team sports say that this factor has a positive impact on their business.