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Beyond the Pitch Episode 95 : Arsenal finally makes it official, the FA pose trend and WEURO25 prize money
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Join Cat and Nat as they discuss the "new" Arsenal head coach, the FA equal photo trend that is taking over Instagram and the WEURO 2025 price money and what it means.
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Transcript
Introduction & Preview
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, hello and welcome to Beyond the Pitch, a daily women's football podcast brought to you by the Global Sport Podcast Network and today is brought to you by your two favorite Italians, the real ones. ah It's me, Kate.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hi Nat.
00:00:27
Nat
Hello.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Great. Welcome back. um Right. So three topics for today we've got, and we couldn't not, not talk about obviously the new Arsenal women manager.
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we are going to move into the equal f FA pay. And this campaign that has been happening, taken on from the football teams themselves. And then we are moving into the new prize sum for the Summer Women Euro that was issued by UEFA. And that is very exciting. Right. Let's start with the big news.
René's Appointment at Arsenal
00:01:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean,
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
big but not big, big but also not big. Like I think we were all a bit there thinking that you know eventually Arsenal was gonna have to do it and get René to sign but now it's official so she is in fact the head coach as on Friday morning And yeah, what do we think about that? I mean, also what a bang to start, like incredible win from Arsenal today. They trashed Crystal Palace, ah a home as in like an Arsenal home. I'm very excited to see Leah Williamson backing goal after I think since 2003 or something like that, but because of her injury, a bit of everything else. So she must be pretty great, great weekend for Arsenal.
00:01:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Women for Arsenal women.
00:02:02
Nat
an fan I think I'm i in a happy place today of course um seeing the great result but more than that having the confirmation that Zlegas got the job because she got things done before getting the job, quite clearly, makes me even more happier in a way. What is surprising is the timing. I would have expected that to be probably said a little bit earlier than that. We were all, there were rumors, there had been rumors quite a long time that most likely she was the best candidate, simply because since she took over from
00:02:47
Nat
ah twelve games went like the the team was always winning, you were able to see how also the um the vibe within the team was completely different, there were more smiles, there were more in a way relaxation, so more prone um and happy to play and that I'm always a great advocate that if you are happy you play better no matter what. So I think having ah this confirmation is just amazing. um But again, it's the first time that Arsenal has chosen um a woman to see as a head coach. And that it's funny that she had to prove before getting the job at value, I find it quite interesting. But I don't know the competitors, so I cannot really tell ah talk about that.
00:03:40
Nat
And I think Arsenal has been taking a brave step forward in a way like i they must have. really thought through this so quite a long time, hence possibly the delay. And the special and the other also the thing is not just related to her, like to her as a head coach, but more of what Adolfo disclosed. Now there is not a manager of Arsenal anymore, but he's overseas, and how much it was not disclosing before, or even when he left Arsenal, now he's disclosing things. And on the top of that,
00:04:18
Nat
He also, um I think the the the way he disclosed things is a little was a little bit ah unfair on my opinion for Arsena simply because Arsena believed in him. When the fans didn't believe in him, they offered him and a session of the content then he resign and I don't know if you have heard of his interview but it's quite astonishing what he said but anyways this is not I hate about chapter this is a Renee Zleger's chapter so I'm happy and I saw a video of her being officially presented to the squad
00:04:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly.
00:04:58
Nat
um which was done by somebody that works within Arsenal and it's quite ah funny in a way because she's looking at her feet very blushed and very humble and I mean woman you have taken you have won 11 times 12 actually and 13 with today don' be don't look at your feet look up because you deserve that spot
00:05:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, for sure. It's interesting what you said about, you know, she had to prove herself before um being offered the job. I don't know what happened in there. I'm just debating if it could be that maybe she also didn't want to have the job straight away.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe they someone might have said to her, hey, OK, he's gone. So what do you think? you How about you taking over? And she might have gone like, oh, I don't know. like I was not thinking about. I don't know. It could have been. I don't know. It could have worked either way. It could be that both ways said, do you know what? Why don't we have a alert? let's let me let me be and you know let me Let me do this.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it's it's quite hard. like She hasn't done it before. And you just think, not to this level. And you just think, wait, like everybody will have their eyes on me. Is that something I want to do? And then maybe risk to be trashed. And I don't think it's got to do just with the fact that, tangentially, women are a little bit less secure than men. It's the fact that, you know if Mourinho come in, takes a job, and after, I don't know,
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
eight games he's let go because he didn't succeed fine there's another team ready to take it because it's him anyway it's his name and it's fine and blah blah blah if you are a woman you get trashed for a long time and if people will want to if another team will want to get you you know, press will trash the other team and go like, she was terrible at there. So why are they doing this? What is going on, etc. So I think there could have been a bit of a both in, um in, um yeah, like both sides of science, you know, well, actually, why don't we take a few weeks to understand how it is, how the team responds, how,
00:07:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know maybe i don't know maybe she also wasn't very convinced maybe they had to convince her i don't know i have no idea we don't know what happened behind closed doors nonetheless i think is incredible i'm very happy she's also super young uh i don't know if she's the youngest i haven't researched that but it would be nice to do it maybe we do it for the next episode ah Just beautiful.
00:07:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
It feels like, you know, I mean, she's 35. How old is Lucy Bronze? Isn't it like... a Isn't it like... um Yeah, right?
00:07:42
Nat
32, I believe. She is 32?
00:07:46
Nat
Yes.
00:07:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. So, I mean, that would be like her in three years. that's That's a big step, you know? It's just that you finish play and then you go there. So, i don't know it's I don't know. It's nice to see.
00:07:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm very happy, obviously. I think... Okay, Arsenal didn't have a difficulty game against Crystal Palace, and I have a very soft spot for Crystal Palace, so it breaks my heart that they lost to 5-0. But still, I think it was great that the girls you know, the Arsenal team probably really wanted to win, you know, to prove that this was a good choice.
London Clubs Update
00:08:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know that obviously this news was really, really, really welcomed by all the players. So just really nice. I wish René the best of luck. I don't want her to win because obviously I don't support Arsenal, but
00:08:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
the best of luck in anything else. And I just want to say before we close the first topic that I am very happy because also Tottenham women got their first one the first win story of the year and very impressed by Chelsea that again and another time they trashed West Ham at home.
00:08:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was debating to go to that game or not. And I really regret that I didn't. um And yeah, 11 games unbeaten. I think they want to match Arsenal records. I saw an interview with Alex Cott a few days ago when someone was saying, can someone you know can can Chelsea be stopped at all? and And she said, I think they want to go after Arsenal's record. And I think she's onto to something.
00:09:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Yeah, um I mean, what a great opening, you know, back into a first weekend of 2025 football for the WSL. Really great. I know the girls are going to talk about it a bit more in the next days of the podcast, but I just wanted to touch on that.
00:09:40
Nat
Yeah, great. And great scores as well. So thanks, Katarina, for updating everyone on the amazing performance of the top teams.
Equal FA Cup Pay Campaign
00:10:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so topic number two, ah something that we've seen recently more and more teams doing. So there is this, let's call it trend of um football teams in the FA ah still in the FA run. obviously we're We're still talking about women, just FYI.
00:10:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they are posting photos, you know, the classical, the typical, the traditional football, ah sorry, um team squad photo, but they have this pose, which is um kind of like they have one arm on top of the other, and instead of the arm touching, there is like a little gap in between the arms.
00:10:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah just to kind of like look like an equal sign. And the reason why they're doing is obviously because still the price money and some of the other things that go around the FA Cup is very different when we are talking about the Men's FA Cup and when we are talking about the Women's FA Cup. And if I'm not wrong, the and the photo that caught our attention was from rugby borrower.
00:11:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, that's ah why Nat and I decided to chat. So I'll let you intervene on that.
00:11:25
Nat
Yeah, so once again, me and you, Kat, a little bit of Instagram addicted, or social media addicted, because every time we are on the phone together, it's like, oh, this drew took our attention, this took our attention. And actually, it's a hot to topic because it's not new thing. So this so-called Ashtag equal FA Cup, which is ah is usually used for teams within the Adobe FA Cup that have the pitches.
00:11:53
Nat
taken as a character just described in that pose and it's just to remind that there were the women's total prize fund is only 30% of the men's actually a little bit less in my opinion but I'm rubbish in maths so I cannot really say I passed my GCSE though ah just to secure everyone in the call um the men's prize spot this year is I believe it's 20 billion whereas the women's one is six million. So already those numbers are kind of don't add up. um It's a protest in a way and it's calling for a further distribution of prize money to boost clubs and player development.
00:12:39
Nat
um One of those slides reposts that actually involve the isagramma calendar of equal FA Cup is it quotes an anonymous player, a professional player that says it is actually the same competition in terms of rules, boots, requirements, discipline, um sacrifice and injuries and it has the same costs for the players in a way, personally.
00:13:08
Nat
ah But same magic, but at the same time completely different prizes. So Yeah, it's there and you cut it that you ah Have a soft heart also for Lewis FC you should be proud of the fact that they raised this and ah Fight back in 2018 and some other clubs like Worcester city women Chaitanam town women and Dalvik chumlet and and join the campaign. And what I really like about this is not just his ah delegating just to certain clubs, it's a call for action to everyone involved in the game, like how can we actively support and do
00:13:55
Nat
and make this change happen. And um they are asking to ah run a fan campaign or to send pictures of your home team with the ah two hand two hands on the top of each other, two actually arms on the top of each other. So I think it's very interesting because I think it's a leveling up this challenge. And I wonder if making it it bigger might start making a little bit more noise.
00:14:24
Nat
and then make more noise, my lead to change.
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it always kind of does it, right? So, I mean, we always, we always need to think that, um you know, you if you stay silent, you never get anything.
00:14:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So by making noise, obviously we are there. I mean, the fact that, you know, the, the pot is 20 millions for men and six millions for women. It's, I mean, okay.
00:14:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not like an crazy huge difference, but it actually is. It's like.
00:14:55
Nat
a billion 20 billion for man and six ah is there a million oh i thought it was billion so far that's my math that went over the place
00:15:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. i and no No, that's okay. Don't worry, don't worry. But it's still a third, right? So it's like if you multiply 6 by 3, that's less than 20. It's okay, it's not, it's not. But it's not, it's okay. It's just, it's it's still a big difference. And I think we're gonna get there, we'll be fine ah eventually, but we will do it only if we do ex exactly that. And you mentioned some football teams, you know, the Worcester, the Redby Borough, Lewis, obviously Lewis, I'm particularly linked because I'm also one of the owners. So but everybody can, so you can just Google it and you can purchase and be one of the earn owner.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
but also ah Yeah.
00:15:42
Nat
A little platform for Louis over here.
00:15:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And also, you know, Rugby Borough and Worcester, they have two incredible owners and general manager with, you know, Nicole and Louise, two women that are really in this because they want to make the women's game better.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
They want to elevate it. They want to make it more equal. They really fight for their teams. They want to do so much and i it makes a huge difference. And I mean, I think...
00:16:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was having a chat with this, about this, with um actually a coach yesterday, so quite a professional coach, a woman professional coach, where I was saying that there is this, I don't know if you heard that Chelsea might want to buy a player from um United States.
00:16:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, uh, we are talking about a million and that will be like the first time I think that we are hitting that level for a women player. And it's incredible because it just going to start to raise, you know, raise everything. And it was interesting because when we were chatting, we were just saying it's great that we are raising stuff, but we also need to make sure that we don't, um, wider the gap, exactly what you were saying before. So the FA gap.
00:17:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's great. We want to have more prices. We want to have everything. But you can see also that the gap is massive in the men's, for example, as well. ah You can see what happened with Tottenham going to, what is that, Tumsworth or something, you know, to play the game, ah you know, how the facilities there are, how everything is. Manchester City is coming to Leighton Orient. Nothing to say to Leighton Orient. I love you all, guys. But obviously, very different stadium, very different setup, very different everything.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
So not only i think with women ah the price has to go higher obviously in line with but i think also the redistribution has to be in a certain way to make sure that actually you know the competition that might not be at the very, very top level the year after will have the opportunity to implement, to do more, to be more competitive and to make you know the FA Cup one of the really the nicest competition that is still out there. I mean, you you are Italian, so I'm sure you've seen a lot of the Italian comments as well on the e FA Cup and they call it the magic of the f FA Cup exactly for this reason, because it still allows certain teams to be able to
00:18:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, to be drafted around massive teams, you know, big, big, big teams that they will never have the opportunity to play in any other way. But I just think the distribution also needs to be really looked into until we raise all the standard of the women's game. You just said it like a few minutes ago, the massive difference that we still have, that huge gap that we still have between the WSL and the championship and how Yeah, you can come up to the WSL, but it's very hard to then stay because of that. It happened many times before. We still see it happening. um Yeah. So that type of thing. Yeah. So the equal sign. Yeah, absolutely. I love the campaign. I love that they're doing. I love that it's going to be a trend that a lot of people would do it. And I think, you know, the grassroots teams are also going to pick it up as a supporting on this type of campaign, et cetera. So it would be a really big movement. But I also think we really need to think about really
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
making that gap much smaller.
00:19:17
Nat
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00:19:35
Nat
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00:19:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, Zincaster. Last but not least, in the last few minutes we've got left, um we wanted to touch upon the fact that actually on the other side, there is really good news.
UEFA Prize Money Increase
00:19:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
UEFA has, I mean, it's been out and about for quite a bit, but we really wanted to pick it up again and highlighted this. So UEFA has pushed and pushed. And I mean, what they're doing with their women's side, I absolutely love it.
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, I was lucky to, I was lucky to meet the team as well a couple of times and they're just doing really great. So basically what they did is that they pushed and pushed and pushed and they increased really the prize money, staggering 151%. Sorry. 156 percent, my bad. But anyway, still, big, big, big number. So if we think about the fact that when the lionesses won in 2022, so only two years, well, three years now ago, the winner took home two millions, but this year is going to be five.
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that will make a huge difference. Not only obviously some of this money will be redistributed to the players and so as a prize money and fairly so, but I'm sure a lot of it will be allocated to the, you know, to the developing of grassroots more girls into football, more school programs into football, you know, to really feel that pathway and to really implement a lot of the structures as well that are a bit outdated.
00:21:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the facilities, and the places to play, maybe adding some new ones in this way, you know, girls and women also have to play, not really crazy timing, but just like more of a normal timing. um Yeah. And I mean, I'm very proud of this. I'm really, really, really happy. I want to be there to witness. I think this is going to be a historical Euro.
00:21:41
Nat
So, are you going to go to the euro and then I'm going to go back to thes the thing but now I'm crazy. Are you going to go to the euro?
00:21:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, 100%. So the aim is to actually work.
00:21:50
Nat
father andna will be at the eurro
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so the aim is to, well, unless something happens that is very urgent and I won't be able to, but ah the aim is to actually work on, you know, on it.
00:22:04
Nat
not
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I volunteered already a few times. I have quite a lot of experience on events, football events, you know, um that type of thing with my work that I do at the stadiums as well. So in an ideal world, I really would like to work there, so to have that type of experience and I'm going to try.
00:22:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've also applied as a volunteer, so either way. If both of them will fail, I'll just go there.
00:22:23
Nat
What's that?
00:22:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
My friend lives in Geneva, so I'm going to stay there. I have other friends in Zurich as well, so I'm just going to go and see them and I'm just going to pick up some tickets once I'm there.
00:22:34
Nat
And that is great. I don't think I'm going to be there, but definitely it would be such a a lovely experience, especially after the Euros here in the UK. But coming back to the prize, I think we're also what kind of did something in line of their vision, the vision they they share about developing and increasing and widening the women's game and the fact that they committed with 1 billion euros to the game's development between 2024 and 2030 that is was has been released also on the day that they met that was in back in December and that is great stuff. I think also if you raise ah the prize money ah you can also channel and attract ah and sponsors but also the quality of the game might raise as well because it's more ambitious so it gets more competitive so I think ah that is
00:23:34
Nat
ah great stuff and yeah so I'm just very curious and I know Maggie Murphy in one of her in one of her posts on LinkedIn because as we said before we are savvy of social media and for who the ones that don't know Maggie Murphy she is the former CEO of Lewis Football Club and now a sport consultant um she added the
00:24:01
Nat
how these kind of prizes can go down the line and really help with the grassroots and ah clubs and growing the game from the bottom up which is what ah is needed especially in terms of facilities and all the things that we had the opportunity to chat back in the days when and have been discussed at a grassroots level especially here in in London and one of the things that have been discussed in one of the women's forum that I've been attending to so um possibly more higher prizes more investments ah better players it sounds like a win-win and I am curious to see where the game goes in five years time
00:24:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
to me by the next Euro.
00:24:47
Nat
No, no. I mean, as they the game as a women's game as a whole in the next five years time. I know the zeros that you already mentioned would be spectacular, but I'm thinking about also grassroots and what are the players that in five years time we will already hear about because the grim has been growing the game has been growing so much and there have been much more investment.
00:25:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And I mean, I also think that swier i mean Switzerland really wants to push this year because it's like they are having the euro at the home of like oh all the big football associations are there.
00:25:19
Nat
Okay. yeah
00:25:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's like, you know, we wouldn't expect anything less than like superb in every possible way. And I think they are going to do that and they're going to make it an incredible experience.
00:25:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah but I can see there is a question in here that someone told us to discuss which is more investment will attract better players and better sponsors and will the demand feel threatened and demand for more money to keep their game at the level.
00:25:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
um More investment will a attract better player and better sponsor. Yeah, for sure. Especially better sponsors, but also not just better sponsors. I think we'll attract sponsors that before they even think football could even be interesting for them. And now they think, wait a minute. So you are telling me that if I sponsor this, I can capture, I don't know, 5 million women all together at the same time. And that's exactly my audience. Great.
00:26:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
whilst maybe it really wasn't before so yeah absolutely zero doubt in there. yeah The other question I'm gonna let you say something about it before we say goodbye and we finish our ah episode tonight.
00:26:31
Nat
Well, I think it could be, could it be a threat and then men gear up or or as you like saying, men up and try to play better football. ah No, joking on the side, I think that happened already with the ban of football for women for 50 years. So let's just accept and maybe increase the game. Like it's the same game played by men and women.
00:26:57
Nat
uh and any anyone really any other gender so can we just increase the level of the spec uh of the show or the quality of we play can we just do that instead of making a man game a women game let's make just a beautiful game
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I don't think men will feel threatened. I really don't. my To be honest, I really don't. I think I actually also think, ah and you know hear me out in here, but I also actually think that the new generation of of high level. yeah I'm talking about high level, obviously. ah Football players, I'm not talking about the grassroots insecure that may be still you know coming to comment on our you know Instagram posts, etc., to make sure that they can say the women's game will never be as good as
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well I just think the professionals, football players actually have so much respect for their counterparts and they would be very happy. i think they would they would I think the only time that my start to be threatened is if the you know the big organization or the governing bodies will go to them and say, actually, you're now going to get much less money because the money goes in there.
00:28:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
well I don't think that's going to happen. What's going to happen is that both levels will elevate and they will be happy for their counterpart.
Future of Women's Football
00:28:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's that's really that's how I want to feel and and and that's how I will keep on believing.
00:28:22
Nat
Yeah.
00:28:28
Nat
Yeah, my, my threaten was more focusing, not the people who played the game. Cause I think that should be the same respect as As we talked before, I think athletes respect athletes because they know how hard it is to be an athlete, especially an elite athlete. So I think ah and where we are now, this is not necessarily happening, but more like people that are in the boardroom. you know We have still some dinosaurs that might feel, well, have they may feel threatened over there, but that's probably ah something that we can discuss another time on another pod.
00:29:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, because suddenly that's all we have time for today. So thank you for joining us. And we look forward to welcoming you to the next episode of Beyond the Pitch is a child from me.
00:29:16
Nat
Bye-bye!