The women’s European Championship in Switzerland ends on Sunday with the final between England and Spain. Women’s football director Nadine Kessler from UEFA draws an enthusiastic conclusion. The DFB wants to top the tournament again in four years – if it is allowed.
For the final weekend, the schedule is again full. Kessler, who is responsible for women’s football at UEFA, has always traveled between the European Championship places in the past four weeks to experience as many games as possible live in the stadiums. It is important to have many conversations – not least with the media. Sometimes the 37-year-old, who has only become a mother this year, helps only an espresso, or sometimes two or three.
But the work was worth it. The former world football player is very satisfied with the first European Championships in Switzerland. “We are super happy, totally euphoric. I have so many positive emotions that will continue to follow me”says Kessler in the Sportschau interview. “To see how the Swiss fall in love with women’s football and how many people have traveled internationally for women’s football for the first time – that is incredible.”
Even before the final between England and Spain on Sunday (6 p.m.), the European Championship set a record with 623,088 spectators in the stadiums. Around 34,000 are added to the final. According to the UEFA, 233,000 fans came from other countries – as many as never before. In England the number was not even half as high. “This shows how honest the interest in women’s football is”emphasizes the director.
Swiss association hopes for sustainable effect
The Swiss Football Association (SFV) sees it the same way. In a statement is from one “Great success” and one “Wonderful platform” the speech. “Now it is important to continue using this thrust”the SFV reports and wants the motto “Here to Stay” fill with life. “League, promotion of young talent and also generally popular and top football in Switzerland should benefit from the great home European Championship.”
The Swiss quarter’s first quarter-finals made a great impression on their compatriots and triggered unexpected interest. First feedback from the clubs are very positive. But how long the euphoria continues will show time.
Women’s football should remain different from men’s football
Kessler hopes that “The emotions and the hype” Both in Switzerland and in other countries provide new impulses. Many people have shown in the European Championship what women’s football stands for – and that it can be an alternative to overheated commerce among men who have reached its preliminary highlight this summer.
We don’t have to try to be different, but simply go our way. This is a unique selling point.
“Women’s football is very different in many things than men’s football. We always talk about accessibility, sustainability and down -to -earthness of players. We have to get that just like the fair play”explains the former German international and adds: “We don’t have to try to be different, but simply go our way. This is a unique selling point. Women’s football offers something that can be seen complementary to men’s football.”
High premiums as a catalyst for further development
The rising salaries, transfer fees and also the significantly higher premiums in Switzerland should therefore not be misinterpreted. “The goal for women’s football and all tournaments must be that profits are generated from it, which then flow back to football”explains Kessler the economic background.
The UEFA releases a total of 41 million euros in premiums – more than twice as much as in England 2022 (16) and more than five times as much as in the Netherlands 2017 (8). The association deliberately writes red numbers. “The high premiums are an investment that we made very aware. We wanted to set an exclamation mark. The prize money has a very symbolic force.” Without this significant increase in premium, according to Kessler, the bottom line would have been.
Germany is applying at EM 2029
Exactly with such a plus, the DFB wants to use it when applying for the EM 2029 points. President Bernd Neuendorf announced in Switzerland that it was trusted to write at least a black zero with the tournament. The Executive Committee will make the decision about the organizer of the 16 tournament – an expansion is not an issue for the UEFA at first.
“We believe that we can top the push that the tournament in Switzerland gave towards ’29 again”emphasized Neuendorf. “With the great ratings and support that you get in Germany for such a tournament, and with the stadiums we have. We can bring about an increase again if Germany gets the chance to align the next European Championship.”
The competitors are Portugal, Poland, Denmark/Sweden and Italy. Because the upcoming European Championship should mean a step forward again, Italy could be the German main competitor. A lot has happened in Italian women’s football in recent years. This was also shown by the European Championship when the team around captain Cristiana Girelli was only a few minutes to jump into the final in the semi -finals against England (1: 2 NV).
Does Germany take the European Championship swing?
But the German team also operated their own promotion. The quarter-finals against France (7: 6 ne), when the DFB women fought for more than 100 minutes, impressed many people north of the Alps and turned them into women’s football fans. Captain Giulia Gwinn said before she left Switzerland that she hoped that the European Championship enthusiasm “Give a small impetus and the numbers drift up a bit”.
The DFB is concerned with the national players of tomorrow. “The footballers become identification figures for an entire generation of young players. This is what we need so that the girls and young women come into the clubs”Neuendorf was convinced and asked the clubs to create more offers.
I think it makes you want more. We are a young team and have a lot plans in the next few years.
The European Championship semi-final is said to have been only the beginning after the personnel upheaval. “We showed a lot of mentality. We went across borders and grown beyond ourselves”said Gwinn. “I think it makes you want more. We are a young team and have a lot plans for the next few years.”
Kessler certainly encourages her countrymen. You would have against the French “Sold extremely well and picked up a lot of Germans. The France game was sensational and stood for everything German football was and is.” And even with Gwinn’s future vision, the top women representative of the UEFA goes with: “I believe that the team clearly belongs to the top top over the next few years.”
Acceptance remains a big topic
The election Switzerland, who lives with her wife and the two children in a village between the association’s seat in Nyon and Lausanne, has an eye on the big picture: “It is extremely important that we all pick up and take away in Europe. We can not only focus on the established countries.”
The big topic is the extensive acceptance of women’s football on the continent. And the European Championship in Switzerland was another step forward. “If you now sit in the stadiums and read in the media, people talk about football. This respect for the achievements makes me really proud”emphasizes Kessler, who was exposed to many clichés and prejudices at their active time. “This is something that always annoyed me as a player.”
For acceptance, however, it is also essential that the competitions and clubs finance themselves and are no longer a subsidy business. “That is why it is a goal to write black numbers with such a tournament. There are still screws that can be turned. We still have a lot of unrestrained potential.”
There is still a lot to do in women’s football
With the fight against resistance, no one knows as well as Monika Staab, who started kicking the women as an eleven -year -old in Offenbach. Later she played in France and England. As a trainer, she became German champion several times and later worked as a “development assistant” in Bahrain, Qatar and until the end of last year in Saudi Arabia.
It is important for women’s football that it always goes one step forward. We haven’t arrived.
“In women’s football you should never stop working and invested. Not only with money, but also with time and energy. Women’s football means hard work”emphasized the 66-year-old, who was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2023 for her work and how Kessler pursued a lot of games live in the stadium in Switzerland. “It is important that it always goes one step forward. We have not yet arrived.”
Staab describes Keßler as “strange” for the UEFA
However, Staab sees women’s football at Kessler in the best hands. “Nadine is a stroke of luck. We need people who have a clue about women’s football who experienced as much as they as a player and now as a official”emphasized the football pensioner. You particularly impress “How she has prevailed against this world of men in recent years. Hats off!”
And Staab on: “How Nadine brings all of her energy to advance Europe is great. I think we are clearly number one in Europe. Overall, not even America can keep up.”
Kessler: “I am still German – and critically”
Kessler had to end her very successful career as a player in 2016 – due to persistent knee problems and after a total of eleven operations. Just a year later, she accepted the concerns of women’s football at the continental association. “When I arrived at UEFA, my head went down and then it said: work, work, work. And: create, create, create.”
However, her role has changed over the years. She is now working more and more as the top representative of European women’s football. So last year she also sat on the podium at the FIFA women’s football congress in Sydney to speak about progress. And now has to make many appointments before the European Championship final.
“I am still German – and at the end of the day a critical person. I am already considering what I can improve”explains the 37-year-old. “But we can sometimes be proud and toast from time to time.”
The big hustle and bustle is over on Monday. Then you go to the Palatinate with your family, where her parents live. There is relaxation at the top of the daily schedule. It should therefore be a look at the next pages of the schedule. Because soon it is again a matter of promoting women’s football in Europe.