Background: Salzburg has some catching up to do in women’s football

Almost all top teams in top-flight football have women’s teams. Of the 32 teams currently in the current group stage of the Men’s Champions League, all but five clubs have their own departments. Only SSC Napoli (SSD Napoli is an independent club, note), FC Porto, FC Copenhagen, Maccabi Haifa and Salzburg are now one of the very few exceptions. Even Red Bull sister club Leipzig has had a women’s team for over six years.

Austria’s figurehead in club football, on the other hand, continues to adorn itself. When asked by ORF.at, the following was said: “Of course, we have been dealing with this topic intensively for a long time and are evaluating how we can position ourselves and get involved in this area in a meaningful way. There is currently nothing that we can communicate.” The appeals are meanwhile getting louder, and UEFA is gently increasing the pressure.

Call in Salzburg

The year 2022 was and is a record year for women’s football, in the Champions League new and general attendance records were set. 91,648 people attended the game between FC Barcelona and VfL Wolfsburg in April. The European Championship in England set many records in the summer, recently new attendance records were set in Germany and England, and with St. Pölten’s entry into the premier class, a coup succeeded in this country. A successful World Cup qualification for Austria would of course be the icing on the cake.

The upward trend should also lead to sustainability and this includes the development of the Austrian Bundesliga. “I hope that there will be even more competition in the coming years, because it would also be important for the young players that the league gets stronger and that the talents can develop better,” said ÖFB team boss Irene Fuhrmann, who played with Austria at the EM entered the quarterfinals. Already five years ago they reached the semi-finals. The A-Team delivered again, but there is still work to be done.

If you take the domestic men’s Bundesliga, only half of twelve teams are currently involved in women’s football. In addition to the WAC, Austria Lustenau, TSV Hartberg and WSG Tirol (the last two clubs each have a woman as president, Tirol, like Lustenau, however, only recently stopped operating), the most popular and the most successful club currently have no women’s teams.

However, after years of hesitation, Rapid has decided to provide one – albeit not until 2024. In the west, on the other hand, nothing new, Red Bull Salzburg is a long time coming, the reasons are puzzling. As is well known, it does not fail financially, the “Bulls” generated 93 million euros this year through transfers alone.

“It’s taking me too long”

“There is no question that it would have a magnetic effect, especially in the state of Salzburg, where there are few opportunities anyway,” said Fuhrmann on the Salzburg situation. “It would take a fraction of the club’s budget to first be at the top at home and then cause a sensation internationally. But it’s a decision of the club, a question of philosophy. You can see with Rapid that it takes time. But it’s taking too long for me,” says Fuhrmann.

That’s how national team player Sarah Zadrazil sees it, who, as an official Red Bull athlete, told ORF.at in March that she wanted Salzburg to follow suit. “I think it would be the next important step for women’s football in Austria. I also believe that the potential has been recognized, I hope that steps will be taken soon.” As is well known, hope dies last.

UEFA makes gentle pressure

Meanwhile, the continental association is gently increasing the pressure on teams that are like Salzburg – verbally at first. In an interview with “Der Standard”, Nadine Kessler, Head of Women’s Football at UEFA, addressed such clubs and associations: “Sometimes you have to think a bit longer term. How do you want to set up your club or association? It’s about the member and brand perspective. I believe it’s a lost opportunity. It’s about making football even bigger and stronger. Sportingly, commercially and socio-politically.”

Soon, however, Salzburg will no longer be able to avoid this topic. Article 21 of the UEFA Club Licensing Regulations now also stipulates that clubs must support women’s football, for example with their own team, by supporting another team or through activities in women’s football. Since this is a new requirement, Salzburg does not (yet) have to meet it, especially since it is only being adopted in the Austrian regulations. But that should be decided in December and apply to the next season, and then Austria’s Croesus can no longer completely ignore women’s football.