Rian Strange
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How is covid-19 affecting women’s football
As this Coronavirus pandemic causes ambiguity and uncertainty worldwide, people everywhere around the world are experiencing unpaid wages, job terminations, hazardous working conditions and breaches of their rights and protections. But how is it specifically affecting women’s football?
By mid-March, several domestic leagues over the globe had been either abandoned or postponed. In Africa, both the Women’s Under-20 World Cup qualifiers in March and the Women’s 2020 Nations Cup qualifiers were suspended as well as the Men’s Euro 2020 competition. With the news of the Men’s Euro’s being rearranged, it was evident that football stakeholders would have to deal with a clash with the Women’s European Championship, which was arranged to be conducted in 2021 by England. As countries around the world have gone into various stages of lockdown trying to manage the pandemic, UEFA declared that the Women’s Champions League final would be re-arranged from its scheduled date of 24th May, 2020 as well as the Women’s European Championship being delayed until 2022.
Players have mentioned several concerns, including questions around the economy, job security but mostly the competition calendar. There is inconsistent communication being provided to the players with a wide disparity in how players are receiving information about the constantly varying circumstances in their home countries as well as the countries they are currently residing in due to their club football.
Leaving such key people/workers secluded at such a critical time is not only frustrating and disapointing, but also very ill-considered in the development of such a long-term industry.
Are there any positives to take from this situation?
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In recent years, there has been much greater commercial interest in women’s football. The attendances in league and international tournaments are showing signs of remarkable potential, more sponsors have lately appeared as high-profile partners and broadcaster viewership is increasing rapidly.
Giving professional women’s football access to facilities situations and times that enable fans to attend games, broadcasters to attain broader spectators and sponsors to drive revenue whilst giving players optimal conditions to operate in could only increase the interest in women’s football.
Moreover this spare time in the calendar is a good opportunity for football associations to build a collective vision that unites national policies and employs regulatory interventions to attain viable growth and employment. Drive growth and opportunity through innovation and long-term investments that prioritise securing the jobs and career paths of female players.
Could this time out due to Covid-19 be beneficial for Women’s football or if it will just hinder it for some extra opinions on the situation? Have your say om this live poll:
