IRecords are tumbling in the women’s Champions League. 91,553 people marveled at a furious FC Barçelona in its 5-2 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday – a world record. And 27,262 fans made the pilgrimage to the Parisian Prinzenpark, where PSG threw an exhausted FC Bayern out of the competition in extra time – a club record. More than 13,000 fans came to the Munich Arena for the first leg the week before – a record crowd for Bayern too.
What does it mean that European women’s football teams’ games have never had more crowds than they do now in the quarter-finals of the queens’ division? Is a turning point imminent? World footballer Alexia Putellas of FC Barçelona seemed to want to invoke it when she said before the game at the Camp Nou that there could be a before and after. Words that inspire a vision: football played by women that finally stands on its own and is no longer considered as men’s football in the light category.
Not comparable to everyday life in the league
A nice idea that seems more tangible than ever, as the record crowds reveal the audience’s increased enthusiasm for “women’s football”. These top games are not comparable to everyday league life in Spain, France or Germany, where many games receive less attention. That is precisely why the Champions League spectacle is a triumph in the struggle for attention.
Putellas is right when she speaks of a cut. Because the fact that large arenas are well filled cannot be an expression of an organic development. Instead, it is the result of a clever and consistent strategy: the eventing of the Champions League. Many spectators came because they wanted to be there when something impressive happens.
Full support: Barcelona spectators saw quality football.
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Image: AFP
This strategy works better when everyone participates. With the exception of Real Madrid, every club played its quarter-final home game in the main arena, not in the much smaller stadiums that women use every day. FC Bayern’s away game in Paris was a bit more brilliant when the Camp Nou filled up. And yes, the ticket prices in Barcelona were tempting, between nine and 15 euros. But the tickets were already sold before a special social media campaign could even have started. After all, there wasn’t just any game to watch, but El Clásico, which has been pregnant with meaning for decades thanks to a well-cultivated rivalry among men.
In Germany, one looks in vain for a comparable event. Borussia Dortmund, the second “beacon” in German football after Bayern Munich, according to BVB Managing Director Joachim Watzke, has only had a women’s football team since this season. It is currently playing in the district league and will not be promoted to the top division for five years at the earliest. Bayern vs BVB would be a game that would be as electrifying as Barça vs Real or the derbies in Manchester or Liverpool. This is another reason why the Bundesliga is lagging behind.
The Champions League events have shown what is possible at the top. Many people want to see a great spectacle. And possibly get stuck. In any case, anyone who watched the games in Paris and Barcelona out of curiosity was offered top-class football. In arenas that were previously reserved for men.
