For women’s football, the Netherlands will become a “training country”, just like for men

As Gijs de Jong, secretary general of the football association KNVB, gave his thoughts on Dutch women’s football in a meeting room in Zeist on Wednesday, a special courier traveled to Zurich. There, at the headquarters of the world football association Fifa, the Dutch football association, in collaboration with the Belgian and German associations, launches an official bid to host the organization of the World Cup in 2027.

After the Netherlands previously hosted the European Championship (won) in 2017, the World Cup is expected to give new impetus to women’s football in our country. Women’s football has been the fastest growing team sport in the Netherlands for several years now. From 109,000 active members in 2014 to 135,000 girls and women playing football in 2022. In 2026, there are expected to be 155,000, an increase of fifteen percent.

Of course, there are also milestones associated with this increased popularity. In March, a visitor record was set in the Ajax-Feyenoord league match (over 30,000 spectators), next season the Premier League will consist of twelve clubs (FC Utrecht will be added) and work is in progress. course for a collective labor agreement. . Additionally, the Women’s Champions League final will be played in Eindhoven on June 3. “We are becoming more and more professional,” explains Lucienne Reichardt, head of women’s football at the KNVB since last year. “More and more BVOs (paid football organisations, editor’s note) are adopting women’s football. It’s nice to see.

Training allowances

The KNVB can therefore set the bar ever higher. There will be licensing requirements for top division clubs, a promotion and relegation scheme will be introduced from the 2024/2025 season and plans are also in place for training compensation, as is also the case. for men. The question is: what is the link between these developments and competitions abroad? “Clubs in England or Germany work with higher budgets, which means that relatively more money goes to the women’s section,” says Reichardt. “Also, we only have a short history with women’s football in the Netherlands. It should not be forgotten. »

National coach Andries Jonker, who will compete with the Dutch national team at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer, believes the picture is sometimes falsely painted that the Netherlands are lagging behind compared to other countries. “We are catching up well,” he said. “Only, we must not forget: we are a small country. In the end, you see the same evolution in women as in men: we are a formative country for foreigners. But we are certainly not sitting still. Everything happens.

For example, the KNVB has eighteen association advisers who guide amateur clubs to better support girls and women who play football. “Ultimately, we want to make the sport more inclusive, with more female coaches, referees and board members,” Reichardt says. “We want to be a place with equal opportunities for everyone.”

Many wounds

The fact that women’s football is facing growing pains is also evident from the injury wave. “If I look at my team, I can make a team with players who have a cruciate ligament injury,” says Dutch Juniors national coach Stefan Hoogsteder. “We are now investigating this. Is it because of the female cycle? The different ways of entry?

For Jonker, these are exciting months towards the World Cup, which begins on July 20. “The number of injuries is a major source of concern,” he said. “Most players come from an amateur club background, which has little to do with top-flight football.” He is also annoyed by the overloaded game schedule. “It doesn’t help prevent injuries,” he says. “There is currently a lot of controversy at Uefa over the calendar for next season. It is inconceivable that we still have to discuss this.

What about this World Cup bid? The result will follow on May 17, 2024 in Zurich, where the Netherlands must contend with Brazil, South Africa and an American and Mexican duo.

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