From 1 July, the Orange women will receive the same amount of money from commercial activities as the men. The KNVB announced this on Monday, more than two weeks before the start of the European Championship women’s football in England.
The KNVB reported three years ago that the union would like to equalize the compensation between women and men by 2023. That has been brought forward by a year. With the previous agreement from 2019, the funds from commercial activities had already been “substantially increased”.
“We are happy with this new agreement,” said Jan Dirk van der Zee, who is responsible for the Dutch women’s team as KNVB director. “We have worked hard towards this together and now it is a historic step for Dutch women’s football.”
Vivianne Miedema, who was involved in the negotiations as a member of the players’ council, is happy with the decision. “I am very grateful to the KNVB that we have achieved this and in this way can take a big step together towards an equal appreciation for both men and women who play for Orange.”
The internationals receive premiums from the KNVB for the use of name and portrait rights and for their participation in commercials. The KNVB does not make any announcements about the amount.
From 1 July, the Orange women will receive the same amount of money from the KNVB as the men.
From 1 July, the Orange women will receive the same amount of money from the KNVB as the men. Photo: Pro Shots
Five associations already preceded KNVB
With the equalization of commercial fees, the KNVB is following the example of the football associations of the United States and Spain, which decided earlier this year not to make a financial distinction between men and women. This has been the case for some time in England, Norway and Brazil.
The Orange Women owe the equal treatment to the success of recent years. The Netherlands became European champions for the first time in history five years ago, after which the World Cup final was reached in 2019. Van der Zee: “The Orange Women have become an indispensable part of the Dutch football landscape. We also want to emphasize that with this important step.”
The Orange Women are currently preparing for the European Championship, which will be held in England next month. The team of national coach Mark Parsons is defending champion on the other side of the North Sea.
The Netherlands open the group stage on July 9 with a game against Sweden, which is one of the favorites for the overall victory. Switzerland (July 13) and Portugal (July 17) are also the opponents. The numbers one and two of each group advance to the quarter-finals.
