Euro 2022: Grassroots clubs already snowed under with requests from girls to join after Lionesses’ victory

England’s historic victory at the Euros could be a turning point for the women’s game with grassroots clubs already snowed in with request for girls and women to join.

The Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 in extra time at Wembley Stadium in front of 87,000 supporters, England’s first major tournament since 1966.

Thousands of fans from across the country celebrated the victory in Trafalgar Square today.

Romina Calatayud, founder and CEO of Girls United, a south London football school that aims to make the sport more accessible to girls and women, said she woke up to a flurry of requests in her inbox.

Having “lived through the lack of visibility and the comments” over the years, Sunday’s match was “extraordinary to watch”, she said.

“I’m really feeling hopeful that other girls will not go through what women my age and older have gone through,” she told i.

“The whole tournament, even before the wonderful result, it has been quite a different impact this time with the visibility it has got, the success of the team, the quality of the football.

“We’ve really seen the conversation change, the mentality, there’s been a far-reaching impact.”

Ten of the mascots at Sunday’s game were from Girls United, an opportunity that Ms Calatayud said had the power to change lives.

She said role models like the Lionesses were invaluable to the growth of the women’s game. “The next few months will be crucial in what we do with that momentum – how do we make sure we get that professional level success on an amateur level.

“We need everyone to come together to put a strategy in place that starts at the very beginning and keeps up with demand. We need to ask how do we keep girls in the game with the right type of programmes. We need visibility and