Women's European Football Championship | The better football is in Switzerland

Giulia Gwinn still remembers with some unease that the beginnings weren't easy. As a small child on Lake Constance, she too wanted to play soccer. "Everyone was on the list, and for me—I was the only girl—my name wasn't even on it. I wasn't even asked my name; it just said 'the girl,'" the 25-year-old recounts in the ARD documentary "Shooting Stars." The current captain of the German women's soccer team still felt disdain after the 2022 European Championships, when host Thomas Gottschalk greeted her as "Giuliana" Gwinn on the show "Wetten, dass...".

Ahead of the Women's European Championship, which kicks off this Wednesday in Switzerland and will culminate in the final in Basel on July 27, the name Giulia Gwinn is familiar to many football fans. She has a charming manner and is genuinely involved. She can express her views without being preachy. And she is one of the world's best defenders. "Duckling away achieves nothing," explains Gwinn. "Women's football wouldn't be where it is today if many before us hadn't had the courage to speak up and express their opinions – even if it doesn't go down well."

Antidote to football gigantism

In the coming weeks, the female soccer players are sure to attract attention. And while most of the men's tournaments outside of the Bundesliga are becoming increasingly out of control, like the Club World Cup currently underway in the USA, which is unnecessarily bloated, the women's European Championship has not yet lost its affable, somewhat provincial character. St. Gallen, the first German venue for Friday's opening match against Poland, has a population of just 76,000. A compact, manageable tournament with 16 teams divided into four groups is precisely what made soccer so appealing in the old days. A Women's European Championship is (still) a charming gem that serves as an antidote to gigantism .

European football's governing body, UEFA, is still not making any money from its most important women's tournament. Its director, former World Footballer of the Year Nadine Kessler, revealed that the association will likely have to pay more than CHF 30 million. Other factors, such as sustainability, also play a role. The eight venues are accessible via Switzerland's efficient public transport system, and ticket holders travel free. While everything else in Switzerland is outrageously expensive, ticket prices are moderate at CHF 25 to 90 (approximately €23 to €85). The result: Of the 673,000 tickets, more than 600,000 have already been sold.

Fewer swallows, fewer complaints

The goal of UEFA and the Swiss organizers is to ultimately sell out every match. "We want to set a global benchmark for sporting events," says Keßler. While maintaining a down-to-earth attitude: It's rare for female soccer players to collapse screaming to the ground at the slightest touch. Referee decisions are usually accepted without complaint.

Nia Künzer, who headed the winning goal for Germany at the 2003 World Cup, published a book two years ago: "Why Women Play Better Football." It features statistics that demonstrate that women play more honestly. Today, as sports director for the German Football Association (DFB), she works on structures, talent development , and visibility – but there's one thing she doesn't do: change the players.

The female soccer players in the current DFB squad are surprisingly open. They chat not only about which Netflix series they are currently watching, but also about their sexual orientation; even the best players rarely come out. Standing firmly on the ground is a given for the female soccer players, partly because almost none of them can later make a living from their salaries, not even the top players at the top clubs. Many of them are studying. A Bundesliga player now earns an average of €4,000. The national team players earn in the lower five-figure range. The record transfer fee in German soccer for Lena Oberdorf, who was absent from the European Championship, is €450,000. By comparison, Florian Wirtz, recently transferred to Liverpool, cost around €120 million plus bonuses. Joshua Kimmich, captain of the German national team, is valued at €20 million annually. The Women's Bundesliga, with its twelve clubs to date, generates only a few million more in total revenue.

The right mix of growth and carefreeness

But does that mean something's wrong? Or is it unfair? Not really. In licensed clubs, the men's division still subsidizes the women's division. Making women's football a financially viable ecosystem is everyone's goal. But for that to happen, sponsors, media, and fans would have to be willing to pay more. Perhaps healthy growth is possible in football, too. Gwinn is convinced that, at least for her, the balancing act is successful. "I'm now part of the big football world. Nevertheless, I want to retain that lightness, that wildness. A good mix of discipline, focus—and also carefreeness."