Building success, brick by brick

Over the past few years, Oud-Heverlee Leuven Women have quietly become one of the most consistent success stories in European women’s football.

After finishing top of the regular Belgian Super League season, they did it again in 2024/25 and won the Championship play-offs to lift the Belgian league title for the first time.

In 2025/26, they are competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and reached the knockout phase. The club’s rise has been deliberate and strategic.

“I think the success of OH Leuven Women is the result of construction, brick by brick, and professionalising the club step by step in the last couple of years,” says Head Coach Arno Van den Abbeel in the video below.

But with progress comes pressure. Competing regularly for titles and European qualification requires smarter recruitment, especially in a women’s market that is moving faster than ever. But this is often with limited budgets, small teams and overlapping responsibilities across men’s and women’s departments.

“Well, the biggest challenge is that there are limited resources,” Van den Abbeel explains. “There are a lot of players in Europe, in the world, that are very interesting for OH Leuven, but at the moment, it's impossible to scout them all.”

For many women’s clubs, traditional scouting - live or even video-based - simply isn’t scalable. Data helps, but it also takes time and resource that clubs don’t always have. That’s where TransferRoom comes in.

TransferRoom has launched a new Women’s Marketplace.

Building on the success of its online platform in men’s football - which was introduced in 2017 and has brought together over 800 clubs and 550 Trusted Agencies from 130 leagues worldwide - TransferRoom’s Women’s Marketplace will enable clubs, agencies and players to connect directly.

The Women’s Marketplace is a dedicated platform within TransferRoom designed specifically for women’s football clubs and agents to uncover new transfer opportunities, access comprehensive player data and ensure they’re only working with trusted, verified professionals within the game.

“If you have fewer people, then maybe you can use the support of an online platform like TransferRoom,” Van den Abbeel says, highlighting how the platform brings together “agents, clubs, players, coaches and managers” in one connected space.

“TransferRoom changes the game because it brings a lot of stakeholders together, and you don't have to look for the right people to get in contact with because all are connected. You win time because you create shortcuts in communication.”

In a market where timing can define success or failure, that matters. Especially when every transfer has to work.

“And you want to reach a lot of players in a short time, or you want to win time in transfer talks or in negotiations,” he adds. “I think this can be a solution.”

For OH Leuven Women, the Women’s Marketplace is not just about buying and selling players. It’s about visibility, reach and positioning the club internationally.

“We can make direct contact with the targets we have,” says Van den Abbeel. “We can come into a network of interesting people and sell ourselves on the international markets.”

As women’s football continues to professionalise at speed, platforms that help clubs move efficiently, transparently and collaboratively are becoming essential. For OH Leuven Women, TransferRoom is part of taking the next step and staying there.

Join the Women's Marketplace now

Clubs from over 45 leagues across the globe have already signed up, including a host of big sides in the WSL, Scandinavia, the NWSL, France’s Première Ligue and Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga, and the global network is growing fast.

Find out everything you need to know, and see how to register for the new Women’s Marketplace on TransferRoom now, here.

Meet in person at the Women’s Football Forum

It’s not just on TransferRoom’s online marketplace that Women’s clubs can connect. Over 100 top executives from clubs and agencies will be meeting in person at the first-ever TransferRoom Leaders: Women’s Football Forum on 27th February 2026.

Hosted at Stamford Bridge in London, England, transfer market decision-makers from clubs and agencies across the global game will meet for a day of networking and negotiations.

Building on the successful format of TransferRoom Live events with the Men’s Marketplace, there will be: 

• 12 rounds of 15-minute one-to-one meetings, where every participant can book in a meeting with another club or agency executive to fast-track transfer negotiations and build relationships.
• 2 on-stage panel discussions, with leading figures in the women’s game sharing exclusive insights to our audience
• Exclusive networking opportunities over registration, morning coffee, lunch, and evening drinks

Tickets are going fast, so register here now to make sure you don’t miss out.