Jean-Michel Aulas has decided. While the OL players are playing in the Champions League final on Saturday against Barcelona, the former president of Les Gones has decided to call in sick to be in Lille, the same day, for the final of the Men’s French Cup between Lyon and PSG. Damage. Because the vice-president of the FFF and boss of the new Women’s League could have taken notes from his Spanish counterparts who professionalized their championship two seasons ago.
“The trigger was above all seven or eight years ago with the creation of a club association,” explains Maider Castillo, former player and director of football at UD Levante. This helped women’s clubs have structure. Before, there was a lot of economic aid coming into the club, but you didn’t know where it ended. The transition to professionalism was quick, we are on the right path. »
A minimum salary for players has been established, after a strike at the start of last season, it was decided that all Liga F clubs will have to play on a natural pitch from the next financial year and a coordination committee was created Tuesday between La Liga, Liga F and the Spanish Federation (RFEF) to “grow Spanish football”. So, is everything okay in the best of all possible worlds? Not really, not yet.
“It’s not normal that we are behind the United States”
“It’s evolving slowly. There are many complaints about the professionalization of the competition, poor facilities, poor visibility on television, and a relatively low average number of spectators, with the exception of Barça,” says Marta Griñan, journalist at A.S.. If the Catalans fill the Estadi Johan-Cruyff (4,000 seats) every time and fill up away from home, it is much more complicated for the other clubs, even if some successful relocations to the stadiums of the men’s teams are achieved, as at Real Sociedad, Levante and even La Coruna, although in the second division.
“ Women’s football is experiencing incredible growth, but it is not normal that in Europe, the cradle of football, we are behind the United States. They fill stadiums, because they sell out a show. But here we are incapable of it. We have to sell an experience and not just push people who like men’s football to go see women’s football. »
Beyond the stadiums, women’s teams affiliated with a men’s structure, apart from Barça, a sort of UFO of this championship, are still too often dependent on the men’s results. “All women’s football clubs must be self-sufficient and autonomous,” says Maider Castillo. This is important to grow and, above all, sell the product. » The former defender is well placed to know this. At Levante, budget cuts were made in the women’s section, which is part of the historic ones, because of the bad season of the Granotas, who should not move up to La Liga.
The RFEF singled out
For their part, independent clubs (3 out of 16 in the first division) are also suffering. Like that of Levante Las Planas: “I don’t know if we will survive for long, but it’s a battle in which we are engaged,” Josep Borrel, the president, explains to us. We are a team in a professional league, with the costs of a professional team, but without the income of a professional team, or help from the authorities. »
The authorities, notably the RFEF, and its former president Luis Rubiales, have long been singled out, not only for his attack on Jenni Hermoso after La Roja’s world title last August, but also for his desire to put the championship under supervision of the Fed.
“ It was absolute ruin. We all complained. The yellow cards which cost 100 euros went up to 1,000 euros, they asked for 20% of the television rights we received… Look at how the federations do it. Some don’t give anything, but don’t take either. If you give me 3 and I have to give you 1.5 back, that doesn’t make any sense. »
The manager takes the example of the Women’s Super League which financially helped women’s clubs to develop, before letting them stand on their own feet once a certain stability had been found. Today, a club like Arsenal will play at least eleven matches next season at the Emirates, the stadium occupied all year round by men. This season, the six matches played by the Gunners at the Emirates brought together an average of 52,000 spectators.
Huge results for the selections
Especially since TV rights fail to significantly increase club budgets. According to the site Relevo, during the 2022-2023 season, 5.7 million euros were distributed between Liga F clubs, including 600,000 euros for Barça, who finished champion, and 254,428 euros for a club like Levante Las Planas. In France, the rights to women’s football (French team + D1 Arkéma) were allocated at 5.3 million euros annually. In England, we reach 8.1 million per year.
So, how can we ensure that this Liga F takes a step forward and gets closer to the Premier League? Change within the Federation and the creation of the coordination committee are a first step. “If you want to generate a good product, you have to improve it and provide visualization and economic resources so that it is attractive,” continues Borell. There is a lack of people who are betting on the development of women’s football, who are investing in marketing and visibility. When there is money, it will be easier to do things well. »
Especially since the results on the ground are already very convincing. Barça bids for a Champions League title every year while La Roja dominates selection football. “We are U17, U19 European champions, U17, U20 world champions and with the A team,” concludes Marta Griñan. The rest just needs to be up to par with the players. » And, if this is the case, it is imperative that Jean-Michel Aulas travel to Spain to try to copy the model.