RTV Maastricht

Laura van Leeuwen first female director of MVV Maastricht

Laura van Leeuwen will become MVV Maastricht's new managing director. The club announced this yesterday. Van Leeuwen will be the first woman to hold the position of director in the club's 121-year history.

It also makes her the only female director in Dutch professional football.

Van Leeuwen played for the Dutch women's national team in the past. She then gained work experience in football managment at the Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond – KNVB  in the Netherlands and youth Sharjah FC in the United Arab Emirates on behalf of Ajax Amsterdam.

Van Leeuwen says she finds MVV Maastricht a club with challenge, and is keen to ''continue upward trajectory''. From 1 July, van Leeuwen officially takes over from Erik Noor.