Meet the incredible people of African and Caribbean heritage on the Football Black List 2024. The initiative honours influential Black figures making a positive impact in the game and society.
Maria Tavares
Practitioners ▼
2024
As the former Player Support Coordinator for the Men’s First Team at Manchester United, Maria was part of the Player Wellbeing Department supporting the off-the-pitch needs and requirements for the players and their families. Maria was responsible for several administration tasks including developing a network and database of key suppliers to support player lifestyle and personal development. This included things such as arranging events (e.g. sessions around financial literacy) or supporting with transitions of new signings coming into the club and helping them adapt to life in Manchester via compiling lists of schools, restaurants, areas to live, entertainment etc. Her role also involved family liaison where she would provide language support which made her a key asset as someone who could speak different languages. She would also be responsible for arranging leisure activities and events for both players and their families to contribute towards building an inclusive team and family culture.