Swedish national team star Kosovare Asllani has played in some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
This summer she opted out of several top teams – for the London City Lionesses in the English second division.
Next in line to join was the national team meritorious midfielder Julia Roddar, and then the Swedish national team striker Sofia Jakobsson.
So what exactly is it? that tempts you to suddenly leave the biggest arenas for a development project? The answer according to Asllani? A 65-year-old woman who has created a women’s football empire in a short time.
Image 1 of 3 Swedish Kosovare Asllani went to London City Lionesses this summer after playing in big clubs such as Milan, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Photo: Sean Chandler/TT Image 2 of 3 “I didn’t even know who Leo Messi was”. Michele Kang has made a quick business trip into club football. Photo: Daniel Hambury/TT Image 3 of 3 Sofia Jakobsson, on the right, is London City Lionesses’ second Swedish and former Hammarby midfielder Julia Roddar – with a background in Kang’s Washington Spirit – is the third. Photo: Daniel Hambury/TT
Korean-American multimillionaire Michele Kang has made a fortune from a company in IT and health. Three years ago, she knew nothing about football – “I didn’t even know who Leo Messi was”, she told herself at a seminar in Stockholm earlier this fall. But then she stepped into women’s football, and now owns the American Washington Spirit, the French giant Lyon – and the London City Lionesses.
– I’ve been waiting for someone like Michele, sade Asllani when she was presented by the club last summer.
– Everyone who knows me knows that I have always fought for more resources and investments.
The last few years established European men’s clubs have increasingly started investing in their women’s teams.
London City Lionesses stand on their own two feet.
– It is powerful to show that we do not need a men’s club to support us, Asllani said according to TT in July and continued:
– Michele wants to redraw the entire women’s football map.
Kang personally flew down to Milan to convince the 35-year-old to sign. When Sweden plays the EC playoff return at home against Luxembourg on Tuesday, Asllani’s new club has started the English Championship with four wins, a draw and a loss.
Michele Kang is an American businesswoman born in South Korea. Photo: Mourad Allili/TT
Women’s soccer is nobody charity, said Michele Kang when she spoke the other week at a seminar organized by the interest organization Elite Soccer Ladies:
– When I first got into the sport, I discovered that many saw it as some kind of charity or a social project. But I am a businessman. I saw the gap between where women’s football is and where it could be. As a business, not as a charity.
“Especially because I’m a woman myself, I didn’t want our players to be treated like charity projects, for sponsors to be able to write a $50,000 check just to tick off something.”
Women’s soccer as business model is about not settling, says Kang. On offering something other than men’s football, investing in the supporter experience.
– We are not only competing against men’s football, but for all consumers’ time – and money.
– Why should we ask our fans to come 13 weekends a year and spend time and money on us? You can say that “we are women, you must support women”. Then people might come once or twice. But they don’t come 13 times.
Lyon star Lindsey Horan and club owner Michele Kang after the semi-finals of the Champions League last spring. Photo: Antoine Massinon/TT
The basic product to invest on, however, are the players themselves.
An example:
– When I started learning about women’s soccer, I learned that all team sports basically borrow training manuals from the men’s teams. But female soccer players have three times more cruciate ligament injuries than male players. And many of those injuries occur in connection with menstruation. We are starting to learn more about this, but over 90 percent of all research is based on men.
When she took over seven players had cruciate ligament injuries. It makes for a bad deal.
– One thing I can say is that top players sell tickets. So therefore you can’t have such big names injured.
– So I decided that female footballers should be treated as women. It’s not a sign of weakness, but it’s about clarifying what product we have and making the best of it.
Actually it is no different than in Silicon Valley, says Kang.
– If you believe in a product, you have to invest in it, then the return will come.
Michele Kang in the stands in the Olympic semi-final between the USA and Germany. In a short time, she has become one of women’s football’s great powers. Photo: Frederic Chambert/TT
She is a pioneer within so-called multi-club networks on the women’s side, but the development has long been a fact in men’s football.
There, the ownership group City Football Group, with Manchester City at the head and 13 clubs on five continents, is the largest.
The clubs can share knowledge and resources, offer greater exposure to sponsors and spread costs. But club empires are hardly uncontroversial. According to the critics, credibility and the transfer market are at risk of being shaken, writes, among other things The Express in a longer report on Kang.
– I know that the multi-club concept is not always seen as positive, Kang says to the sports business site SportsPro.
– But in women’s sports, I would actually call it a necessity.
Facts. The Swedes in the London City Lionesses
● Kosovar Asllani, midfielder/striker, 35 years old
Caps/goals: 189/46.
Former senior clubs: Linköping, Chicago Red Stars, Kristianstad, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Milan.
● Sofia Jakobsson, striker, 34 years old
Caps/goals: 158/23.
Tidigare senior club: Umeå IK, Rossijanka, Chelsea, Cloppenburg, Montpellier, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, San Diego Wave.
● Julia Roddar, midfielder, 32 years old
Caps/goals: 13/0.
Former senior clubs: Korsnäs, Kvarnsveden, Gothenburg FC (now Häcken), Washington Spirit, Hammarby.
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Ladies and gentlemen, grab your popcorn, sit back, and let’s dive into the phenomenon that is women’s football, where the drama, excitement, and—dare I say—financial acumen are reaching fever pitch. Move over, Messi; there’s a new game in town, and it just so happens to be ruled by a 65-year-old woman!
Now, here’s a twist that makes your average football transfer window look like a bit of light reading: Kosovare Asllani, the Swedish superstar, has ditched the glamour of clubs like Real Madrid and PSG to join the London City Lionesses in the English second division. Who needs the bright lights of the Champions League when you can have the… well, slightly less bright lights of the English Championship? But hold onto your hats because this is not just any league; it’s a *development project*. Think of it like taking a scenic route over the M25 instead of that boring straight-shot down the A3.
But let’s get to the meat of the matter: why would a top player trade in the glitz for a project? The answer according to Asllani: a woman named Michele Kang. Yes, you heard that right—swapping glittering trophies for ambitious developmental strategies, led by a Korean-American multimillionaire who once didn’t even know the difference between a football and a basketball!
Michele Kang has set her sights on building a women’s football empire, and she doesn’t shy away from the fact that she’s in it for business, not charity. She’s the epitome of “if you build it, they will come”—except this time, she’s building a football club with analytics, not just hopes and dreams. Kang threw in with both feet and a hefty investment, snapping up various clubs, including the American Washington Spirit and French giants Lyon, as well as our beloved London City Lionesses. The footballing world was already in a quagmire of gender inequity, and she’s throwing a life preserver that’s got a hefty paycheck attached to it!
But let’s not kid ourselves; women’s soccer has often been viewed through the lens of a charity initiative. As Kang herself quipped, she wasn’t having any of that. She wants sponsors to understand that investing in women’s football is not a side project for their PR department. She beautifully articulated that “women’s soccer is nobody’s charity,” because let’s be honest—nobody comes to watch a charity game just for the vibe! They want skill, speed, and a bloody good time!
Now, before you say “Oh, here we go, just another investment mogul trying to squeeze cash from struggling players,” let’s talk injury management. Did you know that women soccer players suffer from three times more cruciate ligament injuries than men? And they say there’s no difference in the game! Kang’s not just promoting football; she’s pioneering research into how the female body interacts with the sport. Fancy that—an owner who actually thinks about the product! And, no, I’m not talking about a winning season; I’m talking about the athletes themselves. Who knew that female footballers should be treated… like women? Shocking!
But can we think about the implications here? So, Michele is basically the CEO of Women’s Football—we’re talking a multi-club ownership model that’s as new as it is bold. Imagine it: if Manchester City can have a hundred affiliates, why can’t the ladies? She’s capitalizing on the business potential and proposes a radical idea: sharing resources to create a competitive and sustainable model.
However, let’s not ignore the critics! Club empires aren’t always the fan-favorite. Some believe that it could undermine the credibility of transfers and the integrity of the game. But Michele isn’t backing down. In her words, multi-club ownership in women’s football isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity! You heard it here—a power move or a bad play? Only time, and maybe a few injury reports, will tell!
Final Thoughts
As we wrap it up—let’s keep our eye on the ball, or the lion, or whatever is left on the pitch. With big names like Asllani, Jakobsson, and Roddar donning the Lionesses’ colors, we could be witnessing a revolution of sorts. The ride may be bumpy and the tackling a bit rough, but if there’s one thing this new era is paving the way for, it’s an investment in talent, not just a game. And who knows? One day, we might just be making room alongside the Messi jerseys for a Kang jersey.
Cheers to more injuries, more contracts, and plenty of kicking! Ladies, keep your eyes on the prize—because in the world of football, whether you’re male or female—it’s all about the *game*, darling!
Swedish national team star Kosovare Asllani, renowned for her remarkable skills on the field, has had an illustrious career with some of Europe’s most prestigious clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.
This summer, she made a surprising decision to turn down offers from several top-tier teams, instead choosing to join the London City Lionesses, a club competing in the English second division.
Following Asllani’s choice, the talented midfielder Julia Roddar who previously played for Washington Spirit, and Swedish striker Sofia Jakobsson joined the Lionesses, further strengthening the squad.
So what exactly is it? that drives elite players like Asllani to leave the grand stages of European football for a developmental project? According to Asllani, the answer lies in the vision of a 65-year-old woman, Michele Kang, who is rapidly building a women’s football empire.
Korean-American multimillionaire Michele Kang, who has amassed her wealth through a successful IT and health company, realized her passion for football only three years ago – commenting humorously at a seminar in Stockholm, “I didn’t even know who Leo Messi was.” Now, she owns the American team Washington Spirit, French powerhouse Lyon, and the London City Lionesses.
– I’ve been waiting for someone like Michele, sade Asllani during her club presentation last summer, highlighting Kang’s unique impact on the sport.
– Everyone who knows me knows that I have always fought for more resources and investments to elevate women’s football.
The last few years have seen a surge in investment from established European men’s football clubs into their women’s divisions, reflecting a growing awareness of the game’s potential.
– It is powerful to show that we do not need a men’s club to support us, Asllani emphasized in a statement to TT back in July, reinforcing her belief in the Lionesses’ independent capabilities.
– Michele wants to redraw the entire women’s football map, revealing her ambitious vision for the future of the sport.
Kang personally flew down to Milan to convince Asllani to join her project. While Sweden prepares to face Luxembourg in the EC playoffs, Asllani’s new team has kicked off the English Championship impressively, achieving four victories, one draw, and one loss.
Women’s soccer is nobody charity, said Michele Kang during recent discussions at a seminar organized by the interest organization Elite Soccer Ladies.
– When I first got into the sport, I discovered that many saw it as some kind of charity or a social project. I am a businessman. I identified the gap between the current state of women’s football and its enormous potential.
– Especially as a woman, I didn’t want our athletes to be viewed as mere charity projects, merely ticking a box for sponsors with a $50,000 check.
Women’s soccer as a business model cannot afford to be complacent, Kang argued, emphasizing the importance of offering a unique supporter experience beyond traditional men’s football.
– We are not just competing against men’s football but against all forms of entertainment for consumer time and money. We cannot simply ask fans to come because “we are women, you must support women.” They may attend once or twice, but not consistently.
The basic product to invest in is the players themselves, Kang underscored, highlighting that the overall quality must be prioritized.
– When I started learning about women’s soccer, I found out that team sports mostly borrowed training methodologies from men’s teams. However, female players statistically suffer three times more cruciate ligament injuries, many correlating with their menstrual cycles, emphasizing the need for focused research on women’s sports health.
When she took over the clubs, seven players were sidelined with cruciate ligament injuries, profoundly affecting team performance.
– One thing I can unequivocally state is that star players generate ticket sales. Hence, managing injuries among prominent athletes is crucial.
– I decided that female footballers must be recognized for who they are. This approach is not a sign of weakness; it involves understanding our product and optimizing it.
Actually, it is akin to practices in Silicon Valley, Kang remarked.
– If one believes in a product, that belief must translate into investment; then the returns will follow.
She is a pioneer in establishing multi-club networks in women’s football, paralleling a model that has been prevalent in men’s soccer for years.
Such networks can offer shared expertise, resources, and visibility for sponsors while distributing costs effectively. However, the concept of club empires comes with its share of controversy, as critics posit potential risks to credibility and the transfer market, as discussed in an in-depth report by The Express.
– I recognize that multi-club ownership is not universally embraced, Kang shares with the sports business platform SportsPro.
– However, in women’s sports, I consider it essential for growth and sustainability.
Facts. The Swedes in the London City Lionesses
● Kosovare Asllani, midfielder/striker, 35 years old
Caps/goals: 189/46.
Former senior clubs: Linköping, Chicago Red Stars, Kristianstad, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Milan.
● Sofia Jakobsson, striker, 34 years old
Caps/goals: 158/23.
Former senior clubs: Umeå IK, Rossijanka, Chelsea, Cloppenburg, Montpellier, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, San Diego Wave.
● Julia Roddar, midfielder, 32 years old
Caps/goals: 13/0.
Former senior clubs: Korsnäs, Kvarnsveden, Gothenburg FC (now Häcken), Washington Spirit, Hammarby.
