England Futsal Announce Two New Lionesses Coaches as Euro Qualifier Kick-Off Times and Venue Confirmed
Ahead of March’s 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Futsal Euro Qualifiers in Lithuania, England Futsal are delighted to announce the appointments of a new Women’s Assistant Coach and Support Coach.
CREDIT: Sian Horn - @shotbysian_
England Futsal is delighted to welcome our newly appointed Lionesses’ Assistant Coach, Joe Ryan, and Support Coach, Paige Shorten, to our senior national team set-up, ahead of of March’s trip to Lithuania for Group B of the 2026/27 UEFA European Women’s Futsal Championship Main Round qualifiers.
CONFIRMED VENUE & KICK-OFF TIMES
We can now confirm that the venue for Group B games across the week will be the LSC Druskininaki Complex in Druskininaki, a small city 130km south of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius and 140km south of Kaunas, Lithuania’s second city.
18/03/26 - Matchday 1 - England vs Bosnia & Herzegovina - 7:30pm (local time), 5:30pm (GMT)
19/03/26 - Matchday 2 - England vs Serbia - 4:30pm (local time), 2:30pm (GMT)
21/03/26 - Matchday 3 - Lithuania vs England - 4:30pm (local time), 2:30pm (GMT)
It’s familiar territory for England Futsal, as we return to Druskininaki three years on from our Men’s U19s Euro Qualification campaign, in which we beat Lithuania 3-0 at the same venue in January 2023.
Preparations for March continue this weekend as our women’s senior performance programme come together for their next camp, at the University of Derby.
MEET THE COACHES
Joe Ryan
Lionesses Assistant Coach
Joe, welcome to England Futsal and congratulations on your appointment as Assistant Coach for the Lionesses, how does it feel to take on the role?
I'm excited to take on the role and support the team heading in to the Qualifiers in March and follow on from supporting the U19 programme and some of the camps earlier in the season.
Can you tell us a little bit about your coaching background in futsal, previous roles with England Futsal and what you hope to bring to this setup, in terms of your coaching style and philosophy?
I've coached for a number of years with a range of NFS, BUCS, youth futsal experiences and more recently with the England Talent programme leading the Women's U19 and U17s Northern Hub. I am naturally enthusiastic and provide a good energy around the group and focus on technical details to support players with their individual development. I have developed my coaching styles and philosophy through a range of different experiences and can support Sion, the support staff and the players to suit their needs!
Finally, we’ve all seen the draw and we’ll be travelling to Lithuania in March, how are you feeling to be travelling away with England for the first time, how do you rate our chances in the group and what do you hope to achieve with England?
I'm proud to be offered the opportunity and excited to travel away with the group and experience another qualifying process after the Champions League Prelims with Bolton in Athens. I think we have a really opportunity to qualify and the experience in Moldova will really set the group up well for what's expected and the finer details to qualify for major tournaments. My ambitions are to support the development of players individually and within the group and push to qualify for major competitions!
Paige Shorten
Lionesses Technical Support Coach
Paige, first of all welcome to England Futsal and congratulations on your appointment as the Technical Support Coach for the Lionesses, how does it feel to take on the role?
Thank you — it’s a great honour to take on the role. When the opportunity came up, I was really excited by the chance to work closely with such a talented group of players and staff. It’s a privilege to be part of the team and to support the both players and staff in the game in any way I can.
You’ve come in and had a couple of camps with the group now, what have your first impressions been about the talent within the squad?
I’ve been really impressed. It’s a talented group of players who all bring different qualities to the squad. There’s also a great sense of togetherness within the group. They’re great people and have been incredibly welcoming, and I’m excited to see how the players continue to develop and progress together as a squad moving forward.
Can you tell us a little bit about your coaching background, your work within the FA and what you hope to bring to the setup in terms of your coaching style and philosophy?
Showing my age a little, but I’ve had the pleasure of working in the female game for around 15 years across a variety of roles. That includes working in the England Talent Pathway and the WSL academy, within County FAs and community foundations predominantly across the East and London regions.
In my current role as the FA Women’s ETC Player Development Lead, we have established a new three-year partnership with England Futsal to support the delivery of futsal across our Emerging Talent Centres. England Futsal provide taster sessions and regional and national qualifying competitions as part of our varied games programme for U10s and U12s.
We’re excited by how futsal can support individual development, helping young players build strong technical and physical foundations and can help with technical skill development of our young players.
In terms of what I hope to bring, my focus is on supporting and empowering players in any way I can. I believe in being patient with progress, putting the person first and the player second, and making sure we enjoy the journey along the way. I love delivering sessions that are competitive, fun and purposeful, all while supporting both individual and team development.
Finally, we’ve all seen the draw and we’ll be travelling to Lithuania in March, how are you feeling to be travelling away with England for the first time, how do you rate our chances in the group and what do you hope to achieve with England?
I’m really excited to be travelling away with the squad for the first time. Alongside Sion, the staff and the players, we’ve all set clear goals and aims that we’re working towards together. We know we have to be at our best for every single game and that means being adaptable and preparing for each opponent we face.
Between now and March, the aim is to continue to improve every day and keep getting better as a group. That means learning and progressing with every camp we have together, while also taking responsibility for improving back in our own environments and managing ourselves as best as possible away from the national setup. If we stay focused on that process, continue to grow together and perform to our potential, we’ll give ourselves the best possible chance in the group.
Sion Kitson, Lionesses Head Coach, welcomes the two most recent appointments ahead of March’s qualifiers and beyond:
“We’re really excited to have both Joe and Paige on board. Joe already has a wealth of experience working with our Women’s Talent Pathways and Paige has settled in really well across her first couple of camps with the group. As we develop as an international team, it’s crucial to have high quality coaching staff in place, supporting our athletes to perform to the best of their ability. We are confident that’s what we now have heading into our preparations for the UEFA qualifiers in March and into the future. We can’t wait to travel out to Lithuania to show the best version of ourselves on the international stage once more”
