Football
of backing and went ahead without Torres, three-times Champions League quarterfinalists in the previous six years, who folded for financial reasons.
But the situation may be changing. Brescia won the title from Verona last season but faced unexpected competition from Fiorentina, who became the first club fully affiliated with a men’s team. Coowner and former men’s president Andrea Della Valle was said to be influential in the development and Sandro Mencucci, La Viola’s executive managing director, said he wanted to launch a cultural revolution, adding: “It is time to give credence to women athletes.”
Evidence of how long a road to that destination is came from across the Atlantic, where Hope Solo – one of the most decorated, controversial and highprofile female athletes – revealed how poor conditions are for players even in the flagship league of the sport’s most successful nation.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is the third attempt at forming a professional female league in the USA and has been relatively successful, especially in Portland. But it is slow progress. In July, Western New York Flash and Seattle Reign had to play on a pitch squeezed to 53m wide to avoid a baseball diamond.
That prompted Solo, who was not playing but is Seattle’s regular first-choice goalkeeper, to release a lacerating blog criticising playing and practice facilities, accommodation, equipment, medical and technical support, security and refereeing standards, and pay.
“It’s far past time that the women in our league start being treated like professional athletes,” said Solo. “Otherwise, we might as well just admit the NWSL is just a semipro league and stop pretending like it’s the best women’s league in the world.”