“Rising Enthusiasm and Challenges for Women’s Football in Switzerland”

2023-04-29 18:09:03

Enthusiasm is growing for women’s football, as shown by the last Euro ladies in England. In Switzerland, more than 30,000 women now play in a club. They represent more than 10% of people who have a license in the country.

The number of women who have a license is increasing. [ASF]

Despite this boom, many players in the Swiss first division have jobs outside of football. This is the case of Sandrine Mauron, 26 years old. After having experienced professionalism in the German club Frankfurt, she made the choice to return to Switzerland a few months ago, to Servette FC Chênois Féminin (SFCCF).

From now on, she also works 50% as a commercial employee in a Geneva recycling company. His days start behind his computer at 7:30 a.m.

busy days

“I like to be active in my life and it’s important for me too to think regarding the future”, explains Sandrine Mauron. But the Swiss international does not hide that this job brings a welcome addition: “It has already evolved a lot, we have fixed salaries, it’s already a huge leap for football in Switzerland, but it’s not with the income from football that we earn our living.”

His day continues at 4 p.m. with training. Direction the Fontenette stadium in Carouge. The team trains there five to six times a week. She finished top of the regular season and aims to return to the Women’s Champions League, which the club experienced recently. Another goal, now achieved, was the Swiss Cup final, won this Saturday once morest St. Gallen.

>> Listen to the 15 Minutes report:

Quinze minutes –

Published yesterday at 12:40

Budget and increase

The budget of the SFCCF Association, which includes the training sector, has greatly increased in recent years: “Today, it is around 1.5 million francs”, explains Loïc Luscher, communication manager of the garnet club and Committee member. “The more visible we are, the more business partners we can attract and the more we can increase our budget.”

In the Geneva team, several nationalities cohabit, but to recruit, the club must be inventive: “We are going to look for the end of the contract and not buy players, because we do not have the means to do it”, explains Eric Severac, the team manager.

He notes the difference that separates his club from the best at European level: “Chelsea, for example, has a budget identical to that of our boys at Servette. Things are progressing, let’s hope that it is also progressing on the Swiss side.”

Expectations around the Euro

Can Euro 2025 in Switzerland speed things up? Many hope so and want to take advantage of the current enthusiasm. Loïc Ravenel, scientific collaborator at the International Center for Sports Studies in Neuchâtel (CIES), generally notes that such an event in itself is not enough: “It will create a focus, the spectators will be able to get a small culture, but if it is not accompanied by a real strategy, in general it falls.”

Sandrine Mauron believes that the Euro will bring a lot and that women’s football is on the right track: “We have seen that the competitions of recent years have always had very good visibility and that is positive for the future.”

She hopes that in future we will only talk regarding football, without making any distinction: “You shouldn’t compare women’s football to men’s football.”

>> The Forum debate between Madeleine Boll, pioneer of Swiss women’s football, and Marie Barbey-Chpuis, Mayor of Geneva and magistrate in charge of Sports:

William King, Katia Bitsch

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