Barcelona trip for Stirling women’s football captain

The captain of the University of Stirling women’s football team has travelled to Barcelona to participate in a new initiative supporting female sporting and professional talent.

Chloe Logan joined leading footballers from UK universities for the programme of events, tours and training, organised by Santander UK to help build critical thinking, management and leadership skills.

The activities included a panel discussion on women’s leadership, including contributions from Maria Teixidor, Board Director & Company Secretary of Barcelona FC; Matias Rodriguez Inciarte, Vice-Chairman Banco Santander & President of Santander Universities; and Susan Allen, Head of Retail and Business Banking, Santander UK.

The trip culminated with a visit to the legendary Camp Nou, where the group watched Lionel Messi lead Barcelona to a 5-1 victory over Lyon in the Champions League.

“This trip to Barcelona has been fantastic,” Chloe said. “Santander and the University have given me the opportunity to experience something that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.

“The panel discussion provided a great insight to the work done by Santander Universities as well as the relationships and diversity within sport and business. The panellists were great at describing their own experiences and how their work could help us, as students and as young women, going forward.

“To be part of the 100,000 fans at the Camp Nou for the Champions League game is also something that I’ll never forget, the atmosphere was incredible.”

Chloe Logan described her trip to Barcelona with Santander UK as "fantastic".

As part of the trip, the participants also had the opportunity to benefit from a training session led by Albert Ferrer, professional football coach and former Barcelona and Chelsea player.

Matt Hutnell, Director, Santander Universities, said: “It’s been fantastic to offer this opportunity to top female football talent from across the UK to help develop their leadership skills, both within and outside a sporting context.

“We are committed to supporting higher education and we hope that the trip has motivated and supported all participants with their career ambitions – whether in the world of sport, finance or beyond.”

Emilio Botín launched Santander Universities in Spain in 1996, as an effective vehicle for business investment into its communities. The programme now has over 1,200 University partners across 20 countries. Santander Universities UK launched in 2007; encompassing 84 universities, and providing over £10m of funding in 2018 alone. The programme focuses on education, entrepreneurship and employability giving all students the opportunity to succeed.