Football: More women’s slates in the Women’s League | sports

That football practiced by women has had much to celebrate in recent times is no secret. In November last year, Barça star Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or and, two months later, the fans and players celebrated the emotional return of Virginia Torrecilla, the Atlético midfielder who was out for two years due to cancer . Now, what is celebrated is a record on the bench. For the first time there are six coaches among the 16 Primera teams: María Pry (Madrid CFF), Natalia Arroyo (Real Sociedad), Iraia Iturregi (Athletic), Ana Junyent (Eibar), Sara Monforte (Villarreal) and Andrea Esteban (Valencia) .

With the arrival of Sevillian Pry (37 years old) at Madrid CFF, a figure never seen before in the Women’s League was reached. “I think it’s a very representative record of the situation of women in football,” says Natalia Arroyo (35 years old), coach of the San Sebastian team. “It has been shown that there are prepared women and projects that can be led by them. It is the confirmation of many years of work in which opportunities have been taken advantage of, ”she underlines. A step forward in the highest category that, however, has not yet been reflected in the subsequent divisions: only three women occupy the bench among the 32 Second Division teams.

“There is an increasing commitment to women in leadership positions, also in the competition itself. Now there are more women training in the world of sports”, points out Andrea Esteban. “The doubts that prevented women’s CVs from being among the top of the table have been eliminated,” explains her partner Arroyo, who directs the second-placed First after the hegemonic Barça. “Clubs also know that behind a woman’s name is the will to step forward on a social level.”

Despite the growth spurt of the coaches, the imbalance is still great. “You have to experience situations in which you get the feeling that you have to prove more than others and touch 10 to be valued,” says Esteban, at the helm of Valencia. His colleague from Villarreal is also clear: “Surely fewer requirements are asked of men. What I know is that there has to be equal opportunities.”

It is the confirmation of many years of work in which opportunities have been seized

Natalia Arroyo, coach of Real Sociedad

Iturregi points to another reason that has long made things more complicated for them. “It is very difficult to live from this. Many women have their jobs and their studies, and perhaps they do not see a professional opportunity here. Now those exits do exist. Before it was unthinkable because the coaches who were in the Women’s First Division years ago did not get paid. Was a hobby”, warns the Athletic coach.

The conquest of spaces in the Women’s League is evident and, on the horizon, appears the goal of one day appearing on a bench in the First Men’s League. “Clubs have to see that we not only deal with women’s football, but that we deal with football as well. For that, it is also necessary that more players, after retiring, want to continue linked to football on the benches”, claims Natalia Arroyo. Esteban believes that the moment a woman reaches the First Men’s Championship will be when “the barriers fall”, although he admits that this objective “will take time”. For his part, Iturregi speaks of “normalizing the search for a qualified person” regardless of gender. “In many clubs, perhaps the possibility of her being a coach does not even cross their minds,” says the Athletic coach.

“I don’t think that men in the men’s category have any problem with us,” says Monforte, from Villarreal. “Many times they tell me that if I were a coach in the men’s, men would respect me a lot. But they should give us the opportunity. It’s a matter of changing the chip a bit.” For now, step by step, this season they have reached a record number on the benches in the Women’s League.

You can follow EL PAÍS DEPORTES on Facebook and Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.

–