“There is no alternative to broadcasting this World Cup”

Former national player Julia Simic is pleased with the current development of women’s football. Compared to England, Germany would still be missing a few things. In addition, she appealed to the decision-makers in rights poker for the 2023 World Cup.

“In terms of sport, we’re on par with English football. If you look at everything else, they’re miles ahead of us,” Simic explained in an interview SPOX and GOAL.

Today’s TV expert and presenter got a taste of English football while she was a professional: “I switched to West Ham United in 2018 and experienced the professionalization of WSL there. The focus was on how to make women’s football visible. Then came Brexit and you thought the whole structure was shaking, but it’s becoming more and more common that the players want to go to England because the conditions are incredibly good.”

Simic continues: “Back then, we shared our training ground directly with the men as the new women’s department. We had the same places, the same cooks and sometimes the same doctors and physios. That appeals much more than the money. We now call that equal play . I put my hand on fire that 95 per cent of the players prefer equal play because they want to play football at a level that allows them to get the best out of themselves.”

Simic had previously played in the Bundesliga for years, winning the German championship once and the cup four times. She didn’t really want to go to England, “because I didn’t see myself in the very physical English football at first. But then I felt so comfortable on the island because I was able to develop in the best possible way and for the first time experienced a professional structure.”

Julia Simic: “You have to tell stories and get to know players”

That was completely different when she was at Bayern Munich (2005 to 2013). “I remember when I was allowed to train in a Munich suburb, but I played for the big Bayern and in the Champions League and had no connection to the main club. Neither logistically nor in terms of attention. We wore Bayern shirts, that’s all , which connected you to the club.”

Conditions in Germany have improved significantly in recent years, says Simic: “It’s the right way to get the ball rolling and keep pushing it with the current radiance in women’s football. That’s exactly the way “You have to hit it and you’re hitting it. But you mustn’t forget what happened. (…) You have to create an environment that continues to raise the quality, so that you get better in sport. Only then is it characterized by acceptance and respect, that this sport can establish itself.”

Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go for German women’s football. It is important “that you broadcast more than just these 90 minutes on the pitch, that you tell stories, get to know players and do more than just play football for a market that opens up new resources and potential.”

Social media, for example, would be of great importance for marketing. “That has been underestimated in Germany for a long time,” said Simic. In this way, women’s football can also reach the younger generation, something that has already been understood in England thanks to the numerous internet formats.

TV rights poker makes Julia Simic “sad”

The entry of journalists and experts into football also helps with marketing, explained the Sky expert: “It is important that this opportunity is taken seriously, that you are not just the quota woman in quotation marks, but also provide added value. I like it It’s no harder to underpin Borussia Dortmund against Eintracht Frankfurt for the men or the women’s cup final with my footballing expertise. That also benefits women’s football because you no longer have the feeling that they are two completely different sports.”

Simic finds the current poker for the TV rights for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year all the more frightening. “It makes me sad that you have to talk about it at all and not about the great event itself,” she said.

Almost two months before the start of the tournament, FIFA has not yet been able to reach an agreement on the allocation of rights with the television broadcasters from Germany, Italy, England, France and Spain. “There is no alternative to broadcasting this World Cup. You have to appeal to common sense,” explained Simic: “Germany and the public broadcasters have a great interest in showing this event.”

The world association must also show great interest in presenting “this mega highlight, which may be even bigger than the European Championships last year”, to the general public and “that the next step is taken again and in the end it isn’t – sorry for that the banality – fails because of the money. It must not become a stumbling block for women’s football. You have to find a solution because anything else would be a huge step backwards.”