What do you expect from the viewers in England?
I have really high expectations, I have to say. We want to get people excited with our football. The people in England are already so enthusiastic about football that they will raise the spirits. I also think it’s cool that the demand is high. I hope you can take that with you.
What would have to change for people in Germany to be as interested in it as they are in England?
We’ve been playing in bigger stadiums, so that’s given the platform for people to be able to follow it at all. Also that more games will be shown live. This visibility is very important. If you can’t see the games, you won’t notice them. A lot of people have told me that women’s football has evolved and is now attractive to watch. The prejudices that sometimes still exist in Germany must be eliminated. We can only do that if we advertise our football and are given the platform to do so.
In Herzogenaurach they had the same conditions as the men. How important is that?
It’s very nice for us and an honor that the same conditions were created. For me, that’s a big exclamation point. This is something we acknowledge. We always talk about “equal pay”, but first of all I think “equal play” is important.
How do you see the premiums developing?
You have to look at it differently. It doesn’t make sense to talk about “equal pay” yet. We haven’t got that far in Germany yet. But for us it is important to say that the gap is getting smaller. That’s what we work for, that’s what we advertise for. There is a convergence and the premiums have gone up.
What do you think needs to be improved?
You have to create good basic conditions. In our league there are still clubs that cannot play football at a professional level. Also from a financial point of view. Some players have to work part-time, which is a shame. It distorts competition because there are clubs that can guarantee that and other clubs where players have to work 40 hours a week. Then it’s difficult. The aim is for all clubs in the Bundesliga to be able to do this at a professional level. Then the attractiveness will increase again.