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Midweek, the Bay Collective group revealed the appointment of Van Ginhoven, England's general manager under head coach Sarina Wiegman, taking on the role of director of global women’s football operations. This freshly established multi-team ownership group, with the San Francisco-based Bay FC as the first club within its group, has previously engaged in recruiting from the English FA.

The hiring earlier this year of Cossington, the influential previous technical director at the Football Association, to the CEO role was a demonstration of ambition by the collective. Cossington understands women’s football comprehensively and currently has put together an executive team with a deep understanding of the evolution of the women's game and filled with practical experience.

She becomes the third core member of Wiegman's coaching team to depart in the current year, with Cossington leaving prior to the European Championships and deputy manager, Veurink, moving on to become manager of Holland, but Van Ginhoven's choice came sooner.

Leaving has been a jarring experience, but “My choice was made to depart the Football Association quite a long time ago”, she says. “I had a contract covering four years, just as Veurink and Wiegman did. Upon their extension, I previously indicated I was uncertain about renewing myself. I was already used to the notion that following the tournament I would no longer be involved with the national team.”

The European Championship was a sentimental tournament because of this. “I remember very clearly, vividly, speaking with Sarina in which I informed her of my choice and we then remarked: ‘Our ultimate aspiration, how incredible it would be that we win the Euros?’ In life, it’s not like aspirations are realized frequently yet, against the odds, it actually happened.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, she holds dual affections post her tenure with the English team, during which she contributed to claiming two Euros in a row and worked within the coaching setup during the Dutch victory in the 2017 European Championship.

“The national team will forever have an emotional connection for me. So, it will be difficult, especially with the knowledge that the players will be arriving for the international camp soon,” she comments. “When England plays the Netherlands, where do my loyalties lie? Today I have on orange, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

In a speedboat, you can pivot and accelerate swiftly. In a lean group like this one, that’s easily done.

The club was not in the plans when the management specialist determined that it was time for a change, but everything aligned opportunely. Cossington started to bring people in and mutual beliefs were crucial.

“Essentially upon meeting we got together we felt immediate synergy,” remarks Van Ginhoven. “There was immediate understanding. We've discussed extensively about different things concerning growing the sport and what we think is the right way.”

Cossington and Van Ginhoven are not the only figures to make a move from high-profile jobs in the European game for a blank sheet of paper in the US. Atlético Madrid’s women’s technical director, González, has been introduced as the group's worldwide sports director.

“I was very attracted to that strong belief of the power of women's football,” she comments. “I'm familiar with Cossington for an extended period; when I used to work at Fifa, she was the technical director of England, and decisions like this come naturally when you are aware you'll be working alongside people who really inspire you.”

The depth of knowledge in their team distinguishes them, explains she, as Bay Collective part of a group fresh club ownership ventures which have emerged in recent years. “It's a standout feature of our approach. Different approaches are acceptable, however we strongly feel in ensuring deep football understanding,” she says. “The entire leadership have progressed within the women's game, for most of our lives.”

According to their online statement, the mission for the collective is to support and lead an advanced and lasting environment of women’s football clubs, based on what works addressing the different demands of women in sport. Doing that, with unified understanding, without having to justify actions for why you would take certain actions, is hugely liberating.

“I liken it to going from a tanker to a speedboat,” remarks Van Ginhoven. “You are essentially navigating through waters that there are no roadmaps for – as we say in the Netherlands, I'm unsure if it translates well – and it's necessary to trust your individual understanding and experience for making correct choices. Adjusting course and speeding up is possible in a speedboat. In a small team like this, that is simple to achieve.”

She continues: “In this role, we have a completely white sheet of paper to work from. For me, our mission is about influencing the game on a much broader level and that clean start permits you to undertake any direction you choose, within the rules of the game. This is the appeal of what we are building together.”

Their goals are lofty, the management are expressing sentiments players and fans want to hear and it will be interesting to follow the development of Bay Collective, the team and future additions to the group.

As a preview of upcoming developments, which elements are crucial in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve