“What to say about Aitana Bonmatí? When he catches the ball, the stadium goes silent because it knows something is about to happen. We saw this in last season’s Champions League final in Bilbao. What he means to Barcelona is unquestionable and I think he is at his best moment. Caroline (Graham) has also had an amazing season and Salma is the same, the level she has at just 20 years old is unbelievable.” former Ballon d’Or german Nadine Kessler (1988)present managing director of women’s football at UEFAhighlighted the current world leaders in women’s football in remarks to Marca, after winning a fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or for Barça, the second in Aitana Bonmati What happens with two in a row? Alexia Putellas.
In this context, Kessler gave the message that women’s soccer is becoming more competitive despite the hegemony of two clubs in the last decade. “Barcelona and Lyon are the two big teams to beat, yes, but there are more and more,” he pointed out. The former German footballer will present UEFA’s new strategy for women’s football, which he calls ‘Unstoppable’, including the creation, among other novelties, of a second international club competition to accompany the Champions League.
In his argument, Kessler contends that there is an increase in competitiveness at least on the international scene. “The signs that Europe is becoming more competitive are there: 90% of teams in the men’s Champions League have a women’s team; 80% of transfer spending comes from European clubs; and 60% of players who have played In the last World Cup they were playing European clubs Barcelona and Lyon are the two big teams to lose, yes, but there are more teams to face them,” he explained.
In his opinion, “the panorama is more competitive. It has nothing to do with when I played. If we look at UWCL in general terms, especially from the group stage up, we see that in recent years we have had 32 clubs from 80 different countries and that the margin of victory of three goals or more dropped from 44% to 15%, among other data,” listed the former ball star, now a senior UEFA executive .
Since football also has communication vehicles, Kessler admits that in order to improve in general we must move forward with the professionalization of domestic Leagues. “UEFA will invest a lot of funds and resources in this project, but, in my opinion, the first thing must be to build a correct, sporting, attractive and inclusive competition. We must start by determining how to organize the League, give it legal form, establish an optimal calendar and attract sponsors and spectators if we work together in Europe and we have a lot to do in the next years make women’s football a business model that works, that investment has increased and shows that there is a market of its own,” he said.
After Real Madrid’s historic sit-in at the Ballon d’Or gala in Paris when it was felt that none of its male soccer players would win the award, Kessler recounted her own personal experience of being chosen as the best female player of the soccer in the world in 2014 remember that Soccer is a collective sport. “That was possibly the most surreal moment of my life because at that time women’s football was so small and I didn’t really know what it meant. It’s the trophy that people remind me of the most out of everything I’ve won in my career – four Leagues, two Cups and a German Super Cup, three Champions Leagues and a European Championship with the German team – and I didn’t want it because I was a footballer if I played football it was because I wanted to win with my team. Obviously I’m grateful for the award because it’s a great way to recognize a player’s individual abilities and because it’s a great night.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
