Long-time national player Inka Grings sees her successors’ triumphal march in the European Championship as “a kind of resurrection of German women’s football”.
However, the two-time European champion warned in an interview with the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” that it must now be possible to transfer a small part of the hype into everyday life.
“The Bundesliga still doesn’t need to hide,” said Grings, who currently coaches the women at FC Zurich. “The fact that statements are being made elsewhere, for example in the area of equal pay, can only be good for Germany.” The German Football Association (DFB) must “just follow suit and can no longer hide behind excuses”.
The clubs are also responsible. “We had this opportunity in 2011, when the hype at the home World Cup was even bigger than it is now. But back then, you didn’t manage to maintain this attention. Even at top games in Germany, the number of spectators is really meager,” said Grings. Especially in the big clubs with traditional men’s teams, the women should be seen as equals.
“You become attractive by marketing by broadcasting,” said Grings. “So it depends on how many people a club dedicates to do the same for the women’s area. For example in the area of social media, which has become extremely important.”