Tihana Nemcic

The bubbly blonde took over the reins at fifth-tier regional side Viktorija Vojakovac, scoring a notable first in the traditionally male-dominated world of Croatian football. Now instead of the glamour of the catwalk, she goes to Vojakovac twice a week for training sessions and Sunday league matches. On the training pitch, Nemcic wears a blue tracksuit and her hair in a ponytail as she runs among the players.
“Set your pace! Don't stop! Pass the ball precisely!” she shouts, taking command. But despite oozing self-confidence, she admits that she did have a “certain stage fright” when she took over at the amateur club, who are currently mid-table in the league. “I'm aware that I'm a blonde,” she explained with a wry smile, mindful of her undoubted good looks but insistent that femininity and football aren't mutually exclusive concepts. “So far my experiences with both players and spectators have been very positive,” she said. The fact that Nemcic has been so readily accepted undoubtedly comes down to her pedigree in football and, as she says, is a logical progression. She played for women's side Dinamo Maksimir Zagreb and coaches Croatia's women's under-17 squad as well as a football school for girls. She used to play for the national women's team but is currently recovering from a knee injury.