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Daily Women Football : Beyond the Pitch Episode 124
13 Plays8 days ago
Join Cate and Lucy, our special guest as they discuss about Lucy' own dissertation on weomen's football growth, The Clasico feminino not going as Barcelona wished.... and less than 100 day to the Euro!
@gspnwomen
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Transcript
Introduction & Welcome
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the Daily Women Football Podcast Beyond the Pitch brought to you by the Global Sport Podcast Network. And today is brought to you by me, Kate, with a very, very, very precious guest that I've been trying to get into our podcast for quite a while. We weren't combining timing.
00:00:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
We made it just by luck today as well. and we have Lucy.
00:00:38
Lucy
Hello, nice meeting you all. I'm so pleased to be on this podcast.
00:00:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thanks for being with us, Lucy.
00:00:42
Lucy
Yeah.
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you for being with us.
Podcast Focus: Women's Football Topics
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
So in today's podcast, as usual, three topics. We are going to talk about Lucy's dissertation on women's football, which is the reason why you and I met in in the group when you talked about it.
00:00:54
Lucy
Yes.
00:00:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was very interested and kindly you shared it with me. Then we are going to have a chat about Barcelona-Real Madrid, el clásico femenino, that didn't quite go as Barcelona expected.
00:01:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we are quickly going to touch on the fact that is 99, think. or 98 today, maybe date until the wee Euro.
00:01:16
Lucy
Nice to
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they are the Euro women in Switzerland. And, you know, we both live in England. So we kind of like have, of course, a soft spot for the lionesses. But then you're from Belgium, I'm from Italy. They are in the same group.
00:01:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who are we going to support? You'll find out in the third part.
Impact of Women's Euro 2022 Win
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But let's start with your dissertation. So the title of your dissertation, actually, it's what did you say?
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
What did you say to me before? It's long. Are you sure to that?
00:01:47
Lucy
It's very long, so I'll just...
00:01:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's the impact of England's Women's Euro 2022 win on girls football participation. But please tell us a little bit more about it.
00:02:01
Lucy
So I did my postgraduate dissertation on this topic and I wanted to have as many ah voices as possible. So I separated into six different focus groups.
00:02:14
Lucy
So like having the perspectives of like media, professional women footballers, coaches, parents, young girls that play football. And in total, I had like 72 participants.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:02:26
Lucy
um So across two months, it was a lot of work, but I managed it and I was so proud of it. and I would say like the main key findings of them is that without any surprise um girls growing in confidence and having more leadership and learning about teamwork and seeing the rise in football in women's football and for girls to have the confidence enough to go into that sport.
00:02:51
Lucy
I think while I did my decision ah which was in 2024, the Lionesses victory had led to a 35% rise in female football It's probably grown even higher, i would say now.
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
What did you say? Did you say 37? No, let's be louder about her
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
it. 35? That's... that Yeah. That is still a really high number, though.
00:03:18
Lucy
Yeah. And I think it's great that the sport is developing. and growing more and more and seeing ah loads of girls that also having mental health benefits and that. um And also seeing the parents getting involved in their daughter's mental health through football.
00:03:34
Lucy
and Because I've seen in my research that football has offered a supportive outlet for like personal growth and reducing girls anxiety and mental health issues, including like depression, autism and ADHD.
00:03:48
Lucy
So it was really nice to see that perspective. And I think it's a, subject that's not really talked about a lot in women's football, ah but it was really nice to see that in perspective and seeing like the words of young girls saying how much it meant to them.
00:04:02
Lucy
So yeah, and I would say one big part would probably role models due to the whole aspect of the lionesses, big names, Mary Herbs, Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, all three mentioned, Mary Herbs had a special supporter from a mom saying she was so proud of her daughter having her as a role model, being unapologetically yourself, as she said.
00:04:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:04:30
Lucy
So it's nice to see also having those same-sex world models being represented and seeing how crucial they are, especially in a male-dominated sport. um So, yeah, it was nice having all those perspectives in two hands and also having the media representations of things with, like, world models in the media, such as Alex Scott, Ellen White, um and having female pundits being made more visible in women's sports is a massive hit as well.
Challenges in Women's Football
00:05:00
Lucy
But yeah, unfortunately there's always like barriers that still exist. um So it could be geographical challenges. Girls that live in rural places don't particularly have access to a lot of like grassroot football, unfortunately.
00:05:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:05:16
Lucy
um It could also be like economic barriers with higher costs for travel, equipment, match fees. preventing some girls from continuing to participate.
00:05:26
Lucy
um There was also cultural barriers, girls coming from minorities and not having the same chances as more privileged girls from a white background. um There's also, of course, the gender inequalities, as always, unfortunately, ah with discriminations, stereotyping, unequal resources. A lot of girls um saying, doing the focus groups, that if it was raining, they would have the worst pitch, or if a boy's team was playing that weekend, they would be the first ones on the pitch that the girls would just have to find somewhere else.
00:06:03
Lucy
um I think during the time I did my decision, there was the whole Fornaby FC women's scandal that happened where the women's team was dismantled due to financial cuts.
00:06:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:06:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:06:15
Lucy
And loads of parents were outraged in the focus groups about it because seeing how far women's football has come, it was just like a very, like... It was a back set. It couldn't have happened. And I'm so glad it did make the headlines and having opinions being heard and having their voices heard in that matter.
00:06:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that was a really interesting episode because ah it really sparkled like a crazy frenzy everywhere. So I don't know if you remember or for anyone that is listening that might not remember.
00:06:48
Lucy
Yeah.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
So what happened is that, of course, you know, so the board decided that because there were like obviously some cuts on the fundings, they weren't able to raise enough money, et cetera, that they would just really cut the women's.
00:07:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. Like not even considering anything. That really backfired very quickly. So apparently the the whole of the board was changed beside, I think, two or three. Now don't quote me exactly on the number, but the ones that were completely opposite to that and they really were like, what? No, like not. No, this is not a solution.
00:07:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think something like. I don't remember how many thousands of t-shirts were sold straight away. ah So one of the girls came up with this sentence, which was like, if girls want to play football, you can't just not let them or something similar. Now I don't remember on top of my head.
00:07:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And someone straight away designing in into t-shirts started to go out and say, okay, Can we, you know, can you just buy a T-shirt and start to raise some money? Let's help these girls, et cetera.
00:07:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
think it's just mad. It just shows you, you know, like in this moment, especially where there is this, ah you know, massive ah talks everywhere about this new TV series called Adolescence that is, you know, that shows like the damages of social media and what it creates, et cetera.
00:08:14
Lucy
Thank you.
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just also nice to see what actually good, you know, technology, social media, and the fact that something can can just literally like go wild straight away immediately.
00:08:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there is a good and bad. But that that was a very interesting, I think for me in that moment is when I understood, haha, this is a big change.
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
In the past, You know, we would have just accepted it. We would have been a bit annoyed. Maybe he wrote a couple of articles about it, be annoyed and that's it. But now it was just like, nah, nah, nah, nah. Wait a minute. We just won the Euros. Do you understand what we did?
00:08:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. So now you ain't going to push us on the side anymore. And yeah, it was it was brilliant. I mean, it was an unfortunate accident, but one of those kind of like, I think, pivotal moment that also sets out a bit of a precedent. Right now, other clubs, if they if before they were thinking, yeah, very easy, we'll just discard the girls.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
the women, the girls, now they're like, okay, wait a minute, let's really rethink about it.
FA's Role & Support Strategies
00:09:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Deloitte has put out another, um how do you say, like another report on how much they predict women's sports, and not just football, sports in general, be will be worth in a couple of years.
00:09:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we are smashing closer to the $3 billion dollars soil. I mean, it's, you know, I don't think there is any turning back and, you know, things like your dissertation prove exactly that point.
00:09:50
Lucy
Yeah, I think definitely the Fulnaby FC scandal was the first turning point and like, wait, stop, this can't happen. And I think all the headlines went into the role of arguing this position that the club had taken.
00:10:06
Lucy
I think whole support of, I would say even like the whole country, but even abroad was like,
00:10:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm?
00:10:11
Lucy
a bit of a scandal of like, no, you can't do this anymore. Whereas maybe like 20 years ago, we wouldn't care in a way because it women's football was not as big as it is right now. So in a sense, I think it was a really important statement that the FA did that everyone...
00:10:28
Lucy
went as a whole for Forna BFC women's and girls team to go back into action and have their league and go into the league, have their pitches and things like that.
00:10:39
Lucy
And I thought it was so rewarding for those little girls that didn't want to to leave their club and didn't understand what was happening. And just having that massive outreach of like media,
00:10:54
Lucy
general people, the sports community, the women's football community, everyone just coming together to try and make sure those girls have a team, those girls deserve to have it. And i think it made a massive statement in gender equality in women's football, also in the FA in general, just in the fact that you can't do this anymore and this needs to stop. And I think since then, there's been like a couple I've seen of like different clubs ah not funding enough their have women and girls team and co-ing funds, but it's always been backtracked by the FA afterwards for those I've seen.
00:11:30
Lucy
um So fortunately, i would say FA's new strategy in the girls' um women's football um is something that, needs to have that foundation of saying to clubs, no, if you have a lack of funding, just go to the FA, try and talk with it and just try and find a solution for the women and the girls team to stay. And also, why is it always a women and girls teams that have to have those negative barriers or repercussions because of a lack of funding?
00:11:59
Lucy
I'm not saying you should cut the boys immediately, but just maybe having an equal resources in both balance instead of having the boys higher and then the girls way down. And so you cut the weight, the weights that is less instead of cutting more on the boys.
00:12:15
Lucy
So it's an equal playing field. And yeah, I hope one day, and think the FA is trying to get to that equal playing field as much as possible and getting more initiatives in girls' pathways, girls' initiatives and projects, whether it's squad girls,
00:12:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:12:35
Lucy
Weetabix, those kinds of programmes of allowing girls to have football in PE lessons and in grassroots community. um So I would say there's some there still some work to be done, fortunately, but um i think the major barrier in the FA right now that they probably need to maybe concentrate on as well is the There's more to be done to sustain girls' participation beyond the age of 14, 16, which is usually the age where girls that are into sport and not just football just drop out due to periods, due to mental health, due to being a teenage girl.
00:13:16
Lucy
um So i think it's also to build a more inclusive pathways and break down gender barriers, especially in those teen years for girls. And think the FA needs to do a bit more work into that and go onto grassroots communities and bridge that gap together for girls to actually get in their 20s and not have had a gap in between playing football and having the guts to actually, no, I'm not going to stop.
00:13:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:13:43
Lucy
I want to yeah go and kick a ball and i I want to do it until I'm over 20. So ah think it's also the FA's responsibility to make sure that the barriers are not there anymore, but also to bridge gaps in gender equality and for girls to have more accessibility and opportunities in women's football.
00:14:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I agree. It is a top-down approach, but
Real Madrid's Victory Analysis
00:14:06
Lucy
and
00:14:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, we're going to pass to the second topic in just a minute.
00:14:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, your but your pick topic, which is ah the game at the weekend. So, El Clásico Femenino. Barcelona-Real Madrid. ah Spoiler a alert. If you didn't know the result, we are going to tell you in just a second. So, yeah, Madrid won.
00:15:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and Real Madrid won.
00:15:09
Lucy
Sure. but
00:15:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're talking about the Clásico Femenina, so it's not as... How can I say? o i mean, if it was like the Clásico, so the the male one, it's like Barcelona, Real Madrid, there's always been, you know, one wins, then the other, then the other one, then the other. But the women, I think, have been pretty dominated by Barcelona.
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
So this is a huge result. And it's a huge result because Real Madrid went to win in Barcelona.
00:15:38
Lucy
Never happened.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go for It's your topic.
00:15:41
Lucy
I mean, it was, um I did watch it back because I was quite shocked that FC Barcelona actually lost.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go for it.
00:15:51
Lucy
But um I was surprised in a good way that Real Madrid did win. and ah But I mean, they've gone eight, I think it is, 18 straight lost against Barcelona.
00:16:05
Lucy
So to finally win on Barcelona turf in the city is quite massive i think and I wasn't expecting it. and So yeah, I was,
00:16:16
Lucy
still like shocked about it because most of the time it's always like 2-0 or 3-0 or sometimes like four zero or something like that and I remember just looking at my phone doing a workshop and I was at half time 0-1 for El Madrid and I was like what and for once I was quite pleased that FC Barcelona was losing even if I am an FC Barcelona fan but um just in the fact that
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:16:44
Lucy
I think Real Madrid deserved those chances. um I think in terms of that analysis of the game, the defence on Real Madrid's side was on points, like nothing to say whatsoever.
00:16:56
Lucy
And Caroline Ware was truly excellent. She took her chances, went for goal, and she she was a master in what she did.
00:17:07
Lucy
ah Usually you don't really see Real Madrid really playing on the attacking side. it will mainly be defence against FC Barcelona, but FC Barcelona was just all over the place.
00:17:21
Lucy
They didn't take their chances when they had to. um i think the midfield,
00:17:28
Lucy
was a bit of a ghost, I would say, even with without big players like Aydana Bonmati, Alexia Portejas. um I think definitely they were overshadowed ah by the Real Madrid attackers and defenders.
00:17:43
Lucy
And the midfield was not working as it should be during those Clásico, unfortunately.
00:17:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:17:49
Lucy
and i think one of the biggest myths for FC Barcelona during that game and I mean she does deserve the rest even if she is injured, is Ana Badge, ah just in terms of like her speeds, her defence on the sides, on the right being a right back or left back. But um she was definitely missed doing that game just to have that point of view, that speed, um and making chances in the midfield and for attackers.
00:18:19
Lucy
which I thought was like, the coach should have done something way sooner at half time and changed the whole formation of it a bit more ah because it wasn't working. And I was just, yeah, I watched it back and I was just like,
00:18:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, do you know what? I mean, i think it it's also always easy, right, for us to see from the from from the outside. And then, you know, you look at it after, you look at it on TV, so it's just like, oh, should have done this, could have done this, should have done this.
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I just think it's also sometimes it's also a little bit the shock of the moment. But that's how I feel. I'm not a coach at all. So, you know, any coaches listening, please. I'm just giving an opinion.
00:19:03
Lucy
Thank you.
00:19:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm i'm not judging anyone.
00:19:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a disclaimer. But I just think sometimes a bit of a shock, you know, maybe you go back into, you know, your halftime and you just say, okay, one second, let's regroup here. Let's remember are Barcelona. Okay, so now we're just going to go out and win.
00:19:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's just like, oh, yeah. Okay, it didn't happen. Wow. That's quite shocking. For me, it was something similar. This is the same thing that happened for for me, again, ah my opinion, where Chelsea-Manchester City, when Chelsea went up to Manchester City, after they won the Cup,
00:19:35
Lucy
Yeah.
00:19:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
they won They went up to Manchester City for the first leg of the Champions League and Manchester City won 2-0. I don't think they won. I mean, you know, I watched that game and I wasn't like, yeah, like, yeah, of course, that's Manchester City. They were so strong.
00:19:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just felt like Chelsea was like, well, wait a minute. what What's going on? Like, no, surely not. Like, we're the best team in the WSL and we just bid them in a cap as well.
00:20:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wait a minute. No, what's going on? And then by the time you kind of like, you know, do that, I think it's, ah yeah, so so I think sometimes it's also a little bit like that. Of course,
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's a lot of people that would argue saying, you know, a top, top level coach will get the straights away and have a second plan and think about things, et etc.
League Competitions & Benefits
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we've seen Serena doing it as well sometimes when we are just like, yeah, Serena, it's the 80th minute.
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Come on, what are you doing?
00:20:35
Lucy
yeah
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Are we doing something about it or not? Well, I'm reading the book that she wrote about her. And she explains a little bit more about why sometimes she sticks to her plan and that type of thing. So it's very interesting.
00:20:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very interesting. It'd be great to have one of the coaches one day to talk about her.
00:20:48
Lucy
Yeah.
00:20:52
Lucy
Yeah, I think it was, I think that everyone was a bit shocked in a way that how the game went. um Yeah, I don't ah think it is it is a good thing and I think Real Madrid did deserve that win, ah honestly.
00:21:07
Lucy
But at the same time, all night it's good to finally see a bit more competition for Eci Barcelona in that league specifically, just because they need to improve because the only actual competition, unfortunately, they have is doing Champions League.
00:21:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
For sure. For sure. Amen.
00:21:23
Lucy
um And that's where you see things that don't particularly go well or things that really are well in the team. But when they play in Spain, most of the time you're like,
00:21:36
Lucy
i you know, i see Barcelona is going to win. You know, the score, like maybe from zero to seven, they're going to win against Levante or something like that.
00:21:47
Lucy
and
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:48
Lucy
Then they draw against Levante last year. i think they lost this year against Levante. And it was just like finally a bit of excitement in the league or like a bit more of competition for FC Barcelona, which I liked.
00:22:01
Lucy
um And yeah, just the fact that Madrid went for it and Barcelona being a bit shell-shocked, I would say, um made a point of like, you should up your game, even if you think you're going to win the entire league.
00:22:18
Lucy
um Talking more about fans there, but yeah, Yeah, I think it was a great game for Real Madrid and also making a statement in the fact for FC Barcelona to up their game in the league and it's not, maybe, it's becoming maybe more competitive and I hope so.
00:22:38
Lucy
And like you said, like, Manchester City-Chelsea game, it's like the women's Super League is way more competitive, I feel, in the middle table, but also up the table. Maybe Chelsea's above.
00:22:54
Lucy
But when it comes to like Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, it's a bit more of a competition. You never really know who's going to win. like last week, having Liverpool winning against Arsenal, then winning against Manchester United, and everyone was like, ooh, what's happening? And I think that's also missing in the Liga FA, and I think Barcelona needs that in order to improve more on their league, but also having more experience in Champions League.
00:23:21
Lucy
I mean, they're
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:22
Lucy
They're having their match against Wolfsburg on Thursday, I think it is. um So I hope they're going to win, of course, but I feel like they have a more ungriness to actually win against Wolfsburg.
00:23:36
Lucy
And then Real Madrid needs to stop their game.
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, that's that that's the yeah that's what I was going to say would be interesting to see their games this week, ah you know, on Wednesday and Thursday, because obviously Madrid comes to Arsenal with the two score, you know, two goal leads and a massive win on their, you know, Clásico.
00:23:51
Lucy
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:55
Lucy
Yeah.
00:23:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they come supercharged.
Anticipation for Women Euro in Switzerland
00:23:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that would be a really great game. So I'm going to be there watching it. And then on Thursday, I'm watching Chelsea as well. But yeah, like you said, you know, then Barcelona is Wolfsburg. But You know, they they have a comfortable win.
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, they won comfortably, but then they just come from a loss at home.
00:24:16
Lucy
yeah
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you never an know. that's That's what's very interesting about football. But, you know, we are going to talk about the Euro in just a second.
00:24:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, Encaster. And last but not least, in the last five minutes that we have, we're going to talk about the fact that, as we said before, there is less than 100 days to go ah for the women euro in Switzerland.
00:25:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
There is also the under 17 euros in Faroe Island, which, oh my God, I can not imagine how...
00:25:14
Lucy
Yeah.
00:25:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
The scenes are going to be in there. They have some football ground and some incredible location that when you see them from above, it's ah just amazing. But anyway, Switzerland would be pretty cool too.
00:25:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we were saying before that, you know, I'm Italian. You're from Belgium. We both live in here. so we love our lionesses. But our two national teams are actually in the same group.
00:25:44
Lucy
I don't know if it's a good thing.
00:25:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I don't know if it's a good thing. It's an interesting thing. And they will be playing on the second day. so our group is playing on the third of... So the the women the Women Euro kicks off on the 2nd of July.
00:26:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. And the opening game is pretty much is always the host country. So in fact, it is Switzerland, Norway, and then Iceland and Finland, which is really interesting because it's like...
00:26:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
So basically they took like the northern countries, which is like, okay, whatever, fine.
00:26:15
Lucy
I
00:26:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And then on the second day, we have Germany, Poland, and i sorry, sorry, my bad. We have Spain, Portugal, and then we have Belgium and Italy.
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Straight away second day, but ba bang, bang, bang.
00:26:35
Lucy
i mean, it's a good match. I mean, the history between Belgium and Italy is, I would say we're quite mutual. Friends. I would agree on that.
00:26:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Yeah, we're quite good friends, but I mean, once you're playing football, the friendship goes.
00:26:50
Lucy
i I don't know how... ah I ah don't actually know how it's going to go, that match.
Speculation on Surprise Teams
00:27:02
Lucy
I think it could be a draw. it could be a 2-0 for Belgium or it could be a 2-0 for Italy. But I would do more draw.
00:27:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I don't know. I tell you what, I am very excited to i mean, I support the Lionesses. love that we are going there as champions, you know, very excited about what's happening in women's football in Italy. They're pushing the narrative a bit more.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, the team is doing better. There is more fans. There's more engagement. They are doing great with their social media, et cetera, et cetera. But... But the team I'm more excited to watch and to see, actually, at the Euro is Poland.
00:27:42
Lucy
Oh, interesting.
00:27:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes. I've been saying it for a couple of years, ah especially since I started doing my course with the UEFA, and I got to learn a bit more about you know the whole situation in Europe.
00:27:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I've learned the amount of investments that are going into Poland. not that they are going into Poland, but that Poland is allocating for the football in general, but really pushing it on the women's team.
00:28:07
Lucy
hmm.
00:28:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think you can see it. And I think they could be one of those, what do we call them, like the dark horse full of surprise.
00:28:16
Lucy
The dogs.
00:28:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, they don't have it.
00:28:20
Lucy
Yeah.
00:28:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, they start with Germany, so they don't have an easy start to that. I'm not going to lie. and then Sweden after. So not the best to start for sure. And they are in a very strong group.
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I really think it could be like one of those surprises.
00:28:37
Lucy
I think, yeah, the player to watch in Poland is Ewa Pojov, I would say. Just an attacker.
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:28:46
Lucy
She's... amazing but I would stick to my guts and for me the underdog will be Belgium not being biased but um
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. Tell us why.
00:28:58
Lucy
yeah
00:28:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, give us a little, we've got two minutes left. So just give us a little, we were chatting before and I said to you, maybe let us know a bit more how the situation in general for women's football is in in your country.
00:29:03
Lucy
ah
00:29:10
Lucy
I think Belgium hasn't put a lot of fund in women's football in general but just the fact that the girls in a Belgium team have made it to the Euros. It's quite massive for Belgium, given the underfunding they have. um But also they've just changed coach.
00:29:27
Lucy
So I think it's nice to see that changing coach after more than 10 years having the same. I feel like this, I think she's from Iceland, ah but um she's making already some good progress.
00:29:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay
00:29:41
Lucy
We'll see next week because they're playing against the Lionesses. And I do not know who I'm going to support on this. But I think Belgium in that group, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Italy, I think they could be the underdogs just in the fact that the recent matches they've played against Spain, they nearly won.
00:30:01
Lucy
It was 3-2 at the end, but they nearly made it a draw. And at some point during halftime, Belgium was winning 2-0 against Spain, which was like shock. And then against Portugal, unfortunately, they lost due to a penalty and it was 1-0. But I felt like that new coaches are doing like a massive job with the team. And I felt like this could be the moment that the underdogs being Belgium could actually maybe not win it, but actually make it to the first stage or maybe second, you never know.
00:30:34
Lucy
ah But I think I've got faith in the Red Devils to actually do a surprise or do a little mix up. So I would bet Belgium being the underdogs, but i do get the point on Poland.
00:30:48
Lucy
um But yeah.
Conclusion & Future Plans
00:30:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So ah we need to wrap up, unfortunately, um but I'm going to hold you on to something. So I would like to have you back if you're happy with it after the two games.
00:31:01
Lucy
Of course.
00:31:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's, I think, after the 8th of April, right? The games are, I think, on the 4th and on the 8th of April because we're playing Belgium here and Belgium abroad um and in Belgium away or Belgium away and then Belgium here.
00:31:09
Lucy
Yes.
00:31:13
Lucy
Yeah.
00:31:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, straight away is like bam, bam.
00:31:15
Lucy
ah
00:31:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
one after the other. And then after that, we'll reassess the situation and we are this understand how much underdogs they are and what's going on there.
00:31:22
Lucy
Yeah.
00:31:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cause that's going to be a really good, a really good way of doing it.
00:31:27
Lucy
Sounds great. They did i did win against England once last year.
00:31:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's fine. um'm not I'm not saying anything, but I think maybe, you know, ah i mean, they are two big games, right? So these are not just friendly games. They're actually games where there is, you know, there is a prize to be won, there is, you know, competition, etc.
00:31:43
Lucy
Yeah.
00:31:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
So both teams are going to go in, really wanted to win. It's not just good to have.
00:31:51
Lucy
Definitely.
00:31:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it would be very nice. And I think, you know, that's great. that's You know, the coach has been there longer so we can see really what the progresses are, et cetera. And most likely just a little bit of, um how do you say, appetizer of what we we expect at the Euros.
00:32:08
Lucy
Yes.
00:32:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
But anyway, that's great. And I think that's all we have time for today. Thank you for joining us. And we look forward to welcoming you to the next episode of Beyond the Pitch, Daily Women podcast by GSPN. And we look forward to have Lucy after the battles in April.
00:32:26
Lucy
Thank you.