Laura Gutierrez joins CAFE as newest Ambassador

After retiring from professional football in 2020, Gutierrez began work with the Levante UD community foundation and currently leads on the social entreprise’s inclusion projects for disabled participants.

Passionate about access and inclusion in football, Gutierrez believes in CAFE’s mission of making all stadiums as accessible as possible for disabled fans and their ultimate goal of #TotalAccess. As Ambassador she hopes to raise awareness and empower disabled fans of both men and women’s football across Europe.

Born in 1994, Gutierrez began her football career with FC Barcelona first team at the age of 15 and went on to win two league titles and two Copas de la Reina with the Catalan team she grew up supporting.

At 19 Gutierrez signed for Levante where she played for seven seasons, making 178 first team appearances, scoring seven goals. The midfielder also represented Spain at international level.

Following her retirement last year, Gutierrez completed a course in physical activity and is currently undertaking a university degree in social education with the Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (U.N.E.D). She has also recently taken part in an introductory course to Spanish Sign Language.

Speaking about joining CAFE, Gutierrez said: “I am delighted to become CAFE’s new Ambassador. Fans are a fundamental part of football; they allow it to have the impact that it does across the globe.

“Anyone, regardless of their needs and characteristics has the right to enjoy this sport and it is all of our responsibility to reduce any barriers that disabled people may encounter.

“CAFE have been doing some fantastic work to improve access and ensure the inclusion of disabled fans, so I’m looking forward to helping them continue to do just that.”

CAFE Managing Director, Joanna Deagle added, “We are very happy to welcome Laura as our newest Ambassador. Laura shares our belief in improving access and inclusion for all and given her experience as player, but also as a Levante Foundation coach, she will bring a lot to the CAFE family.

“Laura will join our two existing Ambassadors, Omar and Bobby, in helping to raise awareness as well as providing valuable insight ahead of the International CAFE Conference due to take place later this year.”

Laura joins CAFE ahead of this next summer’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament, which will take place from 6 to 31 July 2022 in England.

CAFE is working closely with UEFA to ensure the competition’s accessibility and will be sharing important access information before and during the tournament.

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About CAFE

The Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE), established in 2009, is a charity with a purpose to achieve equal access to football. Our vision is a world where disabled people are a key part of the global sporting landscape, as fans, employees, volunteers and leaders, so that everyone has equal opportunities to contribute in an accessible, inclusive and welcoming environment. We provide industry-leading, innovative guidance for fans and sports organisations. Our 'Access for all' guide is the international blueprint for creating inclusive and accessible experiences at stadiums. All of our work is driven by evidence-based research and user-led feedback, combined with years of expertise in accessibility at sports stadiums.

To keep up to date with all of CAFE’s latest news and EURO 2020 updates, visit our website and follow our accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.