When the European Football Championship begins in a month, the prize money will double.
hip hip hurray…or?
– No, there shouldn’t be too many positive headlines, says Hedvig Lindahl.
In 2017, the teams participating in the European Football Championship shared 85 million Swedish kronor from UEFA.
When this year’s tournament kicks off with hosts England against Austria at the start of July, poor money is at stake. If Sweden goes to the semi-finals, it will win at least 15 million SEK out of the 170 million SEK prize pool.
Today, the national team gathered in Bosun outside Stockholm for some sort of volunteer recharge before camp next week. When the goalkeeper Hedwig Lindahl She met the press, she was divided about the distribution of UEFA.
It is good that they increase the prize money. However, I don’t think it means much if they increase the prize money on the part of the guys, so that the gap becomes larger. She says I am not too impressed yet.
“Try to bridge the gap”
The 85 million SEK increase between two European Championships sounds impressive – even compared to the men’s. Between the European Championships in 2016 and 2020, UEFA increased prize money by 715 million Swedish kronor – nine times more than women’s, despite the fact that women’s football is noticeably more interested.
– They can try to bridge the gap. That’s all I want to say in that discussion, says David Lindahl.
Midfielder Magdalena Ericsson described the event as a double-edged sword. She knows that her ancestors hardly earned a penny for playing football, so she is happy to be a professional today. But Chelsea’s defensive rock constantly sees men sail away, even in areas that cannot be directly explained by market value, as in the case of European Championship prize money.
“We have to get there”
We must applaud that she is progressing in women’s football, it is great to be a part of the development going on, but we must not accept that the gap is growing. This is something we must fight for collectively, Ericsson says.
She says she is impatient. Where we are today, UEFA should have been ten years ago, if it was allowed to make the decision.
It’s not just about being grateful for what we get, but raising the bar to the next level. The most important thing is equal opportunity to become as good as you want to be in football. She says: We have to get there.
Sweden will play its European Football Championship premiere against the Netherlands on July 9.