HELLMANN'S RUSSO BURGER SUPPORTS HER GAME TOO

Alessia Russo with Her Game Too's Sarah Smallbone, Caz May, Faye Hackwell and Alice Botting.

“What Her Game Too stands for is what I and many other female players stand for too.”

Those are the words of Alessia Russo, who sat down with Her Game Too at the Fox on the Green pub in London for an exclusive chat about an exciting summer of football, and how a burger named after her will raise money for the campaign during UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.

The Arsenal and England forward has teamed up with Hellmann’s to create the Hellmann's Russo Burger, which is now on sale in 124 Social Pub and Kitchen venues across the country to celebrate the upcoming tournament in Switzerland.

A share of the profits from each burger sold will go to Her Game Too, which is also hosting watch parties in Social Pub and Kitchen pubs to bring football fans together to enjoy watching the tournament – and sample a Hellmann's Russo Burger - during July.

Reflecting on having her own burger, which incorporates chicken fillets, mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, red onion, rocket, garlic and herb sauce and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Alessia told Her Game Too: “It’s really cool.

“I don’t think I really thought something like this would ever have happen, but it’s a great occasion to get fans together and, with the tournament not being in England, it’ll be a nice opportunity to hopefully gather people together to enjoy the football.”

Knowing £2.50 from each Hellmann's Russo Burger will help to create opportunities for women and girls to access and enjoy football, as both spectators and players, is something Alessia is keen to support.

“I feel really excited. It’s a massive part of what’s important to me, and one of the reasons why Hellmann’s and I fit really well is because they have a huge investment to help grow the game and help put us where we deserve to be.

“I think an initiative like this is really important because what Her Game Too stands for is what I and many other female players stand for too, so to be able to help play a little part means a lot.

“But we’re also really grateful to everyone else who does all the hard work to help put our game exactly where it should be.

“We try to do what we can on the pitch, performing well, being good role models, trying to connect with the next generation; but I think the work that Her Game Too is doing behind the scenes, making sure that it is a place for everyone, is really important to us as players.

“We can only do our best on the pitch, but to have a team behind that pushing for what’s right, as a player, it’s really nice to know you have people and organisations like that on board.”

The Lionesses will head to Switzerland to defend their UEFA Women’s EURO title in July, after winning the tournament on home soil three years ago.

Alessia recently ended her club season with Arsenal on a high by lifting the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy in Lisbon, beating Barcelona 1-0 in the final, and now attentions have turned to international duties.

“I think any time you get the opportunity to represent your country at a tournament feels really special, and I’m fortunate to have been part of two and they were both special for so many different reasons.

“UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 is an opportunity for the best players to come together and show how good women’s football is and the standard of the game, so hopefully it’ll be a really exciting summer.”

Women’s football in England has evolved significantly since that 2022 triumph, with female grassroots participation rates soaring across the country, attendance records being broken and more interest in and coverage of the women’s game.

Alessia and her fellow players have become household names, with young girls wearing their names on the backs of their shirts, and encouraging the next generation into football is something the 26-year-old is passionate about.

“It’s grown massively. As a player, we see it all the time, especially at Arsenal where I see it almost every gameday when I walk out at the Emirates Stadium, and I see it packed and full of our fans, so that’s special as a player.

“But also to see more and more girls getting involved in football and having a route in.

“I always think we can keep pushing the boundaries on that and keep wanting and demanding more - and using our platforms to help with that - but to see it growing the way it is, and hopefully will continue to do, is great.

“You want to make sure that girls know that there’s a route in, whether it’s playing, coaching or refereeing, that the game is theirs to make, so it’s nice to be a part of it and we’ll keep pushing for more.”

Her Game Too has worked with many of its partner clubs to have women’s games hosted in clubs’ main stadiums, drawing in larger crowds and reaching new audiences.

Arsenal Women held the majority of their home games at the 60,704-capacity Emirates Stadium, where last season they set the Women’s Super League attendance record of 60,160 during a 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

“What we have created with the fans at Arsenal is so special, the community in general feels really nice to be a part of.

“I think any player will say they would love to play in front of as many fans as possible and in front of packed-out stadiums - that’s what you dream of as a little kid - and it’s getting that way.

“It’s really important because the want is there, and people want to come and watch women’s football, it’s just about making it accessible and making it happen all the time.

“I’m very grateful to be at Arsenal, a club that does that so well and connects with the fans as well as they do, because they’re really important to us as well.”

Her Game Too will be hosting watch parties at selected Stonegate pubs throughout UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, to enable people to enjoy England and Wales games together.

Alessia’s message to those supporters watching from home is: “I think they should go to a pub and get a Hellmann's Russo Burger!

“To have the opportunity to have watch parties and gather everyone together is really nice because you build a community and you make friends, and maybe it’s with people you’ll then go on to watch more games in the tournament with.

“I’m a big believer that football has the power to bring people together.

“To the fans – hopefully we’ll go out there and compete as best we can for the nation, and for our team and our team-mates, so we’ll do our best and hopefully it’s a really enjoyable summer.”

Caz May, CEO of Her Game Too, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be collaborating with Hellmann’s and Stonegate on the Hellmann's Russo Burger.

“It means the world to us that Alessia Russo, someone who inspires us all, has agreed for £2.50 of every burger sold to go directly to Her Game Too.

“This is a huge opportunity for us to invest in our grassroots partner clubs, helping ensure that girls can continue to play football without any financial constraints.

“We are extremely grateful for this partnership and the impact it will have on the women’s game.”

Georgina Bradford, Foods UK&I general manager at Unilever, said: “We believe that football and food have the power to unite people like nothing else.

“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Alessia – a true star on and off the pitch – to cook up something special for fans with the Hellmann's Russo Burger.

“Bursting with flavour and football spirit, we can’t wait for fans to get their teeth into it this summer, while cheering on Alessia and her Lionesses team-mates.”

Find out where your nearest Social Pub and Kitchen venue is to try a Hellmann's Russo Burger, on sale from May 31 until 2 August.