When the women play the game

Great Britain Women Football team at the 2012 Olympic Games
Photo Credit: Jon Candy 

A recent opposition

According to the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, putting women and men on the same level could be considered a crime against the “delicate nature” of the female human beings.

The comment from the head of the eastern country came on the 24^th of November, during a meeting in Istanbul.

The statement caused immediate replies and harsh reactionson the social media from the feminists who had been criticised by Mr Erdogan for their misunderstanding in the female nature.

Everyone has his specific and appropriate role in the society.

In the President opinion, the women who support equal rights “reject motherhood”.

A look a little bit further

heavy rain outiside the Wembley Stadium
Photo Credit: Cristiana Ferrauti

Just one day before the storm was set off – 23^rd November – 45,619 people were sitting in the stands at the Wembley Stadium to watch the England WomenFootball team playing against Germany.

The Women Football is increasing its fame among the British people.

There was great excitement for such an historicalevent.

The tickets went rapidly off sale, marking a record in the attendance.

During the weekend, works at the Wembley Park station and the heavy rain made necessary some more precautions especially for the exit of the supporters who invaded the borough at the end of the German Victory.

The Lionesses were indeed defeated by three goals from the rivals.

The teams met for the first time since the 2012 Olympic Games.

Moreover, this was the first match played by the British Women team at the Wembley Stadium since its reopening in 2007.

If we play with the numbers…

England Women is the 3^rd largest team sport, just after the Men Football and Men Cricket, according to a review of the UEFA women's football development programme.

On the other hand, Germany Football Women is the first women’s team sport in the country.

13,364 were the female teams registered two years ago.

Europe

In Europe there are nearly 1.2 millions of registered female players. The number is almost six times the record in the 1985, when the women players were only 200.000.

48 is the figure of National women’s football leagues.

More than 700.000 are the young players in this sport.

All the data come from a report published by UEFA in the 2013.

England Women versus Montenegro 5/04/2014
Photo Credit: James Boyes
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World

Looking instead at the global situation, according to a document by FIFA, 29 million are the women and girls who play football in the world.

In 2015, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in Canada and 24 teams will join it.

Two years ago, the competition saw 129 teams playing, whereas in the 1971 there were only 3 teams.

The line-up

What seems inherently a man sport, football has conversely attracted many women, especially during the last twenty years.

These results may be attributed to the strong position and the visible role that women has gained in our western societies in modern age.

They would not probably replace completely the men, as there are some DNA parts that differ in them.

But, certainly, women are trying to catch up as much as possible.