In recent years, more and more companies have become sponsors in a women's soccer team on a strong rise. That development may be slowed down, but in no way stopped by the corona pandemic, says Anders Lindén, CEO of the Tango Brand Alliance, a sponsorship and branding agency.

- The sponsorship will of course get a bang overall, companies will be a little unsure. But I think many companies now notice that this whole thing of setting up for society is attractive. Then I think that women's sports and, for example, the Paralympics might get a push instead, says Anders Lindén.

- For the breakthrough that came in 2019, with the World Cup and everything that happened, it is not possible to stop, I think.

Cannot be braked

Earlier this week, the International Players' Union (Fifpro) released a report warning that the pandemic poses "a near existential threat" to women's soccer.

But player agent Maria Karlsson De Cecco is just like Anders Lindén in that it does not have to be so bad.

- I'm not really worried about that at all. I think women's soccer has such a strong and solid base. Maybe even that it can get a little easier away from men's football, because it's still about smaller sums and fewer transfers, ”says Maria Karlsson De Cecco.

Certainly, parts of women's soccer will be affected by the crisis, just like society at large. But the sport's equality work has come so far that that development can't be stopped, she says.

- Maybe even when this period is over and the economy starts to stabilize, it will take even more for women's and women's soccer.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Maria Karlsson De Cecco and Anders Lindén are both in the position that it may rather be that men's soccer is taken down on earth by the recession. And that it can be something positive.

- It would have been fantastic, I kept saying. The whole community is slowed down now and so is football, and that might mean that everyone can get a mindset. So that it becomes a little more reasonable, and equal pay, says Karlsson De Cecco.

Anders Lindén:

- I do not think that such player sales with fantasy salaries will work anymore. It is clear that the gentlemen will continue to serve well, but I do not believe in the same steep increase as before. We probably won't see any sales records of players in the coming years.

ARCHIVE: Dick Kerr Ladies - women's team banned by the powerful men of football (October 21, 2019)

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Gail Newsham and Dick Kerr Ladies. Photo: Daniel Zdolsek / British Pathé