Maria Karlsson De Cecco enjoyed a long and illustrious career all over Europe, playing in the Champions League, representing her country, and even winning the Swedish treble.

But in 2011, the Swedish star found herself in South Yorkshire, lacing up her boots for Doncaster Rovers Belles.

She spoke to SYWF about her year in Doncaster, as well as her current role as the CEO of a global women’s football agency.

Maria, tell me a bit about your career before the move to England:

“I started playing football at the age of seven in Sweden. I feel very privileged that I was a girl starting to play football there, because back then it was totally normal for everyone, boys and girls, to play. 

“When I was 17, I signed my first professional contract and began playing in the Swedish top league, the Damallsvenskan, which was a great experience. At that time, it was one of the best leagues in the world, and many international players came to play there – Hope Solo, Marta, and Ramona Bachmann, for example. My time in Sweden was brilliant. I made over 50 caps in the National team’s youth setup, played in the Champions League, and won the treble!”

How did the move to South Yorkshire come about?

“After exploring and experiencing so much in Sweden, and also realising I probably wouldn’t be the best football player in the world, I decided it was time to go and explore the world while continuing to play football, which was just starting to become a realistic option for female players.

“I received a call from a good friend who told me there was a club in England, Doncaster, looking for a centre back, and that a new league, the Women’s Super League, was starting. I immediately went to Google to look up Doncaster, as I didn’t know where it was. I then learned about the rich history of Doncaster Belles, so I decided to sign with them in January, during the first year of the Women’s Super League.“

I’ve seen that you apparently lived in a hotel in Doncaster during your time here. Is that true? And if so, how was it?

“Yes it’s true! I stayed at the Ramada Hotel near the Airport.

“It was certainly a new and peculiar experience. There was nothing outside, except for a small cafe if I walked a few meters.

“I recall on Mondays, we always had dinner at the hotel restaurant, and it was very typical English – baked potatoes with beans. I had my simple hotel room – nothing fancy at all. I lived there with three of the other foreign players, but sometimes it was incredibly boring because there simply wasn’t much to do.

“We only trained two or three times a week, and those sessions were in the evenings. So I’d work out with the other foreign players in the mornings, but there was always still a lot of time in between. It was miles away from how professional football operates today. 

“The whole experience was definitely interesting and makes for a good story now, many years later.”

You mentioned the English food, did you enjoy it?

“No. 

“I live in Italy now, so if I compare Italian and English food, the answer is a very short no.”

What was the experience like playing for Doncaster Rovers Belles?

“It was a new experience in many senses, as it was my first time abroad, and the league was new. 

“What I really appreciated, which I think was a very good idea from the FA, was the ambassador program each club had. I was a senior ambassador for the Belles, and the ambassadors from each club met once a month. 

“The general purpose was to teach us how to behave as professional football players, what the Women’s Super League represented, and how we should be as professional footballers. The ambassadors then brought this knowledge back to their clubs.

“I think it was such a smart and easy way to foster a sense that ‘we are doing this together.’ We were starting a new era for women’s football in England, and even as competitors, we were all on the same page with the shared goal of growing the game.

“England obviously had a long history of women’s football even before, but I can truly understand now why the Women’s Super League has become one of, if not the, best league in the world – it had a very clear vision and purpose from the start.

“In terms of quality, I’d say the level of play back then was lower than the Swedish league. Top teams like Arsenal were very good, both in England and Europe. However, generally, the Swedish league at that time was better.

“I didn’t move to England because the level was higher, I came mainly because it was something new. I wanted to be part of something new, both in terms of football and to learn a different style of play. 

“Being part of the first Women’s Super League, even though I didn’t know how it would evolve, was very exciting.”

You left after a year to go to Italy with Hellas Verona. Why did you leave?

“There were many reasons to leave. We didn’t have a good year, the late training sessions, the hotel lifestyle and in all honesty, I received an opportunity to move to Italy and earn almost double what I was making in England.

“If the league level had been better and the professional environment at Doncaster had been stronger, I probably would have stayed in England as long as I could. 

Despite having six FA Cup’s to their name, and dominating the women’s game in England in the 90s, Doncaster Rovers Belles struggled with the transition to the professional game.

You mentioned the environment at Doncaster, what was it like?

“The facilities weren’t great. We didn’t have a locker room, I’d change clothes at the hotel, go to training, and then go back to the hotel. 

“We didn’t have a dedicated ‘home’ facility, so to speak.

“We did play games at the main stadium every now and then, which was great, but there were hardly any spectators at the time. 

“Overall, the facilities, especially being at the beginning of the WSL, were very far from being a professional environment compared to the fully professional setups almost all WSL clubs have today.”

So after your time with Doncaster Rovers Belles, how did your career pan out?

“I moved to Italy in January, where I played for three and a half years with Verona and Brescia – two top teams in Serie A at the time. 

“After three and a half years in Italy, I still wanted to explore another country. I then received a call from Saint-Étienne in the French league, which I decided to take, and I saw out my career there.”

You’re now at CMG, how did that come about?

“I never thought about being an agent, mainly because agents didn’t really exist in women’s football when I was playing. However, the former Barnsley CEO Khaled El-Ahmad, who is now the GM of MLS club Minnesota, told me, ‘Maria, I think you’d be a good football agent.’

“I didn’t even know what that meant then, but when I started to understand the business, I really liked it. CMG was founded a year after I retired and I’ve been part of the company since the start.

“We’re in touch with everyone involved in women’s football, from the highest levels at FIFA and UEFA to various football associations, clubs, and players. 

“The stereotype of a football agent is often a man in a suit who only makes transfers. CMG aims to be the opposite. I am the CEO of the agency, and I’m a woman, which is quite uncommon in our business.

“I think it’s important that the agent industry, especially within women’s football, reflects our knowledge of the game. We don’t work in men’s football because our knowledge and network are specifically within women’s football. 

“All of us who work at the agency have also been in our clients’ shoes – whether they’re 16 signing their first professional contract, 28 and tearing their ACL, or moving abroad. We’ve done all that, which is very helpful when we speak to our clients.”

You can read more about the Belles and their history here, and also check out our podcast with former Belles coach Katie Rowson who gave some insight into the club’s struggles.