After the end of the Iberdrola women’s soccer league, it has become clear that this sport is here to stay and that it has more and more followers all over the country. More and more spectators are flocking to the stadiums on weekends to see their favorite players up close.
During this season, the record number of spectators at a soccer match was surpassed, with 91,553, the number of attendees at the Camp Nou breaking the world record for attendance at a women’s soccer match. The Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid is already a milestone, but once the party is over, it is time to look ahead and ensure that one day this will be the norm and not just an exceptional night.
However, Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, spoiled the party in the eyes of many when he said on Thursday: «I prefer a women’s league with 5,000 fans at every weekend match, then with 90,000 at a game». A reality check in line with what women’s soccer in Spain is going through daily.
If we want to change things and make women’s soccer a relevant sport, the first thing that should help is the creation of the first women’s professional league. It was approved on March 14 by the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) and will be launched for the 2022/2023 season on a par with the men’s soccer and basketball leagues. The next step is to elect the president of the board of the new competition with the consensus of the clubs.