Luri Sorroche, the first woman to train a senior men’s football team in Catalonia, is the eight women to be interviewed in the Women with Impact cycle.
In a world where it’s difficult to find women leading men’s teams, Luri has broken down barriers and become a role-model in the field of sport.
She stresses that decision-makers in clubs often have difficulty when it comes to backing women, not concerning abilities, but rather through the inertia of sticking to things and not breaking down stereotypes. “They opt for the easiest path, which keeps things as they have always been”, affirms Sorroche.
Luri is a pioneer in her trade. When she started out, she had no role-models in Catalonia, but that didn’t hold her back. Given the lack of opportunities at home, she chose to go abroad, where she developed her professional career as a trainer. Even so, she notes that if she ever trips up in sport the situation would be more complex: “I’d really be under scrutiny, more than if I was a man”, she admits.
Sorroche firmly believes that the ability to lead does not depend on gender, but what people are like. “Players quickly see if you understand football, whether you’re a man or a woman”, she notes. That is why she insists she doesn’t just want to be a trainer because she’s a woman, but for her abilities and leadership.
To all girls dreaming of becoming trainers, Luri tells them: “Have the ambition to get there. It’s tough, but you can do it”.
This inspiring testimony from Luri Sorroche is a demonstration of her commitment to equality and her determination to break down boundaries in the world of football.