London (AFP)

To fill Wembley and its 90.000 places, it is the tour de force that the Englishes are preparing to operate Saturday in friendly against Germany, proof of the growing passion for the feminine soccer in the country-host of the Euro-2021 , determined to ride the World Cup effect.

The "Lionesses" of Phil Neville will scratch two domestic records in the stadium of London: that of the final of the 2012 Olympics between the United States and Japan (80,203 spectators) and, for a match of the English selection, that of 2014 against Germany (45.619), already.

The success of the Saturday poster is not just the casting, between the semifinalists of the last World Cup and the "Mannschaft" of the star Dzsenifer Marozsán. It shows a growing appetite for the women's round-robin, as evidenced by the growing audience of the local championship.

The opening of the Women's Super League (WSL) season attracted a total of 62,000 fans, while a cumulative audience of 92,000 people was recorded in the 110 matches of the previous season.

"West Ham against Tottenham, we made 25,000 (spectators) at the London Stadium, and this is not the first against the second!", Remarked to AFP the French international Kenza Dali, recruited by the "Hammers " in July.

And the former middle of Lyon and Paris to add: "the English national team conveys a very beautiful image, it helps even more".

- Performance at half mast -

The numbers prove him right. The English World Cup Tour last summer in France gave a boost to the practice: 850,000 women aged 16 and over have been playing football since the end of the tournament, according to the English Federation (FA).

"The growth we've experienced is the translation of our slogan + See it, play it +, which is at the heart of our philosophy to encourage practice at any age," says Louise Gear. , responsible for the development of women's practice at the FA.

The semi-final lost against the future US champions (2-1) in early July has generated in England an audience estimated at 11 million viewers.

"With the + Lionesses +, we are fortunate to have a great group with models that evolve at the highest level, inspiring women of all ages to have the confidence to try football, whether for fitness, competition or fun, "says Gear.

The FA is now active to convert this craze into a sustainable phenomenon, a year and a half of the European Championship scheduled on his land.

A campaign with Disney was launched in 1,200 primary schools to encourage girls to play. Another initiative: the Women's Football Weekend invites supporters to attend a women's match during the international break, when the men's championship is stopped. The first edition will take place next week and must be renewed every year.

From an economic point of view, English clubs are also on the rise.

Often leaning against the heavyweights of the Premier League (the women's sections of Manchester United and Tottenham have been promoted to the first division, for example), clubs should quickly see their financial strength expand. The TV rights of the championship, which Barclays Bank is the title sponsor, have been sold abroad and will come to supply the budget of Arsenal et al.

Still, the means and optimism in vogue on the English side do not protect against disillusionment, especially sports. Since her beautiful run at the World Cup, Lucy Bronze's partners have chained four matches without winning a single one. At Wembley, you will not have to tremble.

© 2019 AFP