Despite the soaring popularity of the Women’s Champions League, many players in the qualifying rounds are living far from professional standards. The article published on fifpro.com reveals some examples and player´s stories:
- While the Women’s Champions League boasts 90,000+ capacity crowds, record-setting revenues, and millions of streaming views, many players in the qualifying rounds still endure basic and sub-standard working conditions.
- The Croatian club ZNK Osijek, despite advancing past champions of Slovakia and Ireland before losing to FC Twente, could not match the professional standards of elite clubs like Real Madrid or Arsenal in terms of player welfare.
- According to one former player, salaries were below €1,000 per month, forcing many to work second jobs—as waitresses, café cleaners, youth coaches—just to make ends meet.
- The club lacked a qualified physiotherapist and provided no rehabilitation or surgical care for serious injuries, leaving players to manage on their own.
- Kateřina Svitková has already spoken about this issue in the past. Her team, Slavia Prague, played in the group stage of the Champions League, and her teammates had to take time off work to attend the matches.
This article is really worth reading. The full text is here.
