“If not now, then when?” asked the 54-year-old urgently before the lost final against England. “In the end, we will only win if we can end everything that is happening right now – no matter where – with sustainability.” Voss-Tecklenburg demanded: “There must be something left over.” Her colleague agreed the Austrian team boss Irene Fuhrmann. “Football has become faster and more athletic. This has to do with the greater professionalization. There’s still more to do,” said the Viennese, whose team made it to the quarter-finals.
In terms of sport, the next step seems to have been taken. “Football-wise, this tournament was absolutely convincing. The dedication and joy also inspired many spectators, which must be taken into the leagues in order to further develop women’s football,” said ORF expert Nadine Prohaska. Her colleague Sargon Duran is certain: “Women’s football is on the next level. This euphoria must not simply fizzle out again.” As early as September 3rd, when European champions England visit Austria, a first trend will be measurable in this country as to whether this final round will leave its mark.
Talk: That was the 2022 European Football Championship
ORF sports presenter Alina Zellhofer is a guest in “Studio 2” to review the recent European Football Championship. England became European champions in the game against Germany on Sunday.
Sporty and convincing in the stands
But it is already clear that 2022 will be a record year for women’s football. In the spring of the Champions League, 91,658 fans came to the Camp Nou for the duel between FC Barcelona and VfL Wolfsburg and set a new attendance record in women’s football, while the European Championship finals in football’s motherland kept pace.
What began with the opening match between England and Austria (1-0) in the legendary Old Trafford near Manchester in front of 68,871 fans ended with 87,192 in the final between England and Germany (2-1 aet) at the no less legendary Wembley Stadium. In the end, 574,875 people came to the stadiums, more than doubling the previous record from the EM 2017 (240,055) in the Netherlands.
There were also a number of sporting records to report, including England’s most in a final tournament with 22 goals. This was mainly due to the unexpected 8-0 win against Norway, which also caused a stir in the media. The reporting also reached a new level, whether in England, Germany or Austria, the players laughed from various covers, it was the topic of the day.
Visibility also in social networks
And social networks also helped a lot this year. “I think we have experienced a social media European championship with enormous click rates. That leads to a certain level of awareness,” said Joti Chatzialexiou, head of the national teams at the German Football Association (DFB). Above all, the Austrians and Germans knew how to use these platforms with their jubilee arias and shared their joy with the fans.
“This tournament has done so much for women’s football, but also for society and women in society in England, but I think also in Europe and around the world,” said Sarina Wiegman, who after the Netherlands now also England on the throne and won all of their previous twelve European Championship games. Voss-Tecklenburg also left an impression with her German team, so that on Monday thousands celebrated the runners-up at the European Championships in Frankfurt.
England as a role model for Germany and Co.
Traditionally, one hopes to take this momentum with them, but this hope is not new. After each of his many titles – eight at the European Championships, 2003 and 2007 at the World Cup and Olympic gold in 2016 – that was what the German association and the league had hoped for. Even after the home World Cup in 2011, the effect of which fizzled out. The attendance record has been 12,464 since 2014, when today’s captain Alexandra Popp crowned VfL Wolfsburg German champions against Frankfurt.
You can now see on the spot what England has achieved, and that could possibly also have an effect in Germany. Criticism has spread regarding the current situation, because England has pulled away in terms of professionalization. Two top men’s teams, champions Chelsea and Arsenal, set the tone in the league, while the big Manchester clubs City and United and Tottenham are now also playing a good role up front.
“Arsenal against Chelsea, that has a name, also a force on television,” emphasized ÖFB goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger. Her captain Viktoria Schnaderbeck, who was last under contract with Tottenham, said: “England is definitely a pioneer, that’s where a lot has happened in a short time. The league has been professionalized, there are attractive opponents, stadiums, infrastructure and money also plays a decisive role.” In Germany, games on Monday evenings are to be introduced as a unique selling point from the 2023/24 season in order to attract TV stations. “We now need clear strategies and implementation. We have to promote talent more, go to the big stadiums and introduce a basic salary in the Bundesliga,” demanded Voss-Tecklenburg.
European champions England make a guest appearance in Wiener Neustadt
In Austria, on the other hand, they are even further away from such dimensions, especially since a workhorse like Red Bull Salzburg obviously sees no potential. With the LASK and the GAK, two other calibers launched their women’s departments a year ago, and after years of hesitation, Rapid also decided to start with a women’s team in two years’ time. So it will.
But even the ÖFB heroines of two editions of the European Championship are fighting for the fans’ favor. Since 2012, there has been a record of 3,600 spectators at a home game. It will stay that way, even if European champions England make a guest appearance in Wiener Neustadt. Because otherwise only around 1,400 come to the home arena of the ÖFB women, you don’t even dodge into a large arena. The association hopes that at least the 3,000 will be full. If that is the case, it would at least be a first positive trend after the tournament of records.
