Heineken® Celebrates Real Hardcore Football Fans at the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final

To celebrate the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final in Bilbao on 25th May at the San Mames Stadium, Heineken® is refreshing perceptions of what it means to be a ‘hardcore fan’. In an effort to counter the outdated male stereotypes that come with the term ‘hardcore fan’, we’re focusing on the true face of modern football fandom across men’s and women’s UEFA competitions, because women can be just as positively obsessed with the beautiful game.

Putting true fans front and centre this season, we have developed the Real Hardcore Fan Club to share heartwarming and often outlandish stories of passionate fans that challenge the status quo to make football more inclusive for all. From nuns singing for their team on Sundays, to pets (and people!) named after football legends, the hardcore fans aren’t all who you’d think.

[i"It makes me so happy to see women’s football growing at the rate it is, the increase in female players, the massive number of female fans and the public view of the sport changing. That’s why I love how Heineken® is using their weight in the football world to drive positive change making the space inclusive for all fans, no matter who they are"[/i]

JILL SCOTT MBE, FORMER LIONESS AND HEINEKEN® FOOTBALL AMBASSADOR

To support the rallying cry for inclusivity within football, Heineken® has been leveraging its 30+ years partnership with UEFA to help level the playing field for all football fans by tackling the issues that prevent them from having an enjoyable, inclusive experience.

Since becoming a sponsor of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2021, we have looked to continually challenge stereotypes and exclusionary behaviour that says football is for men only, from our 2023 campaign “Cheers To All Fans… Men Included” to this year’s "Cheers To The Real Hardcore Fans”.

To support this message Heineken® created ‘The Social Swap’ which highlighted and addressed gender bias in football by tackling online toxicity. We asked ex-players and pundits, Jill Scott MBE and Gary Neville to switch social accounts in secret to prove they were being judged unfairly on their opinion because of their gender.

[i"It’s a real privilege to present campaigns that champion women’s football and celebrate the diverse group of people who call themselves hardcore fans. We’re proud to help drive one of the fastest growing sports of today, and we’ll continue to break down stereotypes to show there is a place at the game for everyone who lives and breathes the sport"[/i]

NABIL NASSER, GLOBAL HEAD OF HEINEKEN® BRAND