INTERVIEW - "Women also need to be more willing to get involved," says the first woman on the board of the Football Association

Aline Trede, the Women's European Championship begins on Wednesday. There's a lot of hype, and it's already clear that the attendance record will be broken. Are you surprised?

Not at all, but it's great this way. A lot has been done, in the host cities, by the association, and also by UEFA. The attention for the European Championship and women's football is enormous. They could have set the ticket prices higher, and it would have sold out; perhaps they lacked confidence. The more difficult part is sustainably capitalizing on the hype after the tournament.

Hype as the basis for a legacy?

Yes. The European Championship empowers women, and this empowerment is very important. We need more women everywhere in football. Today, we lose them from the structures too early.

For just over a year now, you've been the first of two women to sit on the Central Board, the highest body of the Football Association. How have you been received?

I had my seat immediately. I said hello, and then we got started.

So simple? The association didn't need a woman for 130 years, until Aline Trede, a left-wing politician, joined the circle of older men who have been competing among themselves in men's football for decades.

Yes, it's that simple. Since the delegate meeting was held online, the election was unfortunately somewhat impersonal. Everyone on the board was happy to have me there.

However, it took pressure from Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, who imposed a women's quota on sports associations.

Perhaps it would have lasted a little longer without the Federal Councilor . But what Dominique Blanc, in particular, has done for women's football is underestimated. I immediately noticed that the board was willing to promote women's football. I can help push that forward. The board members always represent their respective divisions: the amateurs, the professionals, the first division.

And who do you represent?

I am an independent member.

But to the outside world it is clear: you are the unelected representative of women.

No, I'm an independent member. And I see it as my responsibility to work for the overall association. But when we think about the legacy of the Women's European Championship, we have to ask: How do we renew the association so that women's interests are also reflected in its structure?

Is there a need for a chamber for women in addition to the three existing chambers?

This is definitely something we need to talk about. The fact that Christelle Luisier and I are independent members has already changed something in the central board. Previously, two chambers could join forces and have a majority. That's no longer the case. I've been told that this has already changed the dynamic.

Give us an example.

The awarding of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia. For some members of the board, the award by acclamation was problematic, for others less so. The question was whether the association would take a position or not.

Aline Trede, who as a Green National Councillor had loudly criticized the World Cup in Qatar, said: Yes.

Yes, I thought so. We had a fruitful discussion. And finally, we wrote a letter, the only association besides the Norwegian one to do so. If I can contribute to a more nuanced perspective and bold positions, then that's good. I don't know if the SFV would have done it this way in the past.

Has the SFV become more political – thanks to Aline Trede?

Not more political, perhaps more conscious.

And you play the role of the one who stirs things up, causes friction, and sparks discussions?

I don't cause that much friction, but I definitely bring new perspectives. People mustn't forget that I came along at a really cool time. The Women's European Championship triggered so much. When we increased the budget for women in the SFV, there wasn't much discussion about it. But as I said before: The big work only begins once the European Championship is over.

Then it's about sustainability. You said earlier that football is losing women too early. Is that because of the women or the system?

It's up to both of them.

What needs to change?

It's about structures, but also about simple adjustments. For example, scheduling introductory courses for female coaches so that participation is possible for women with children. But women also need to be more willing to get involved. My daughter plays in a local club in Bern. Every third father there says: "Aha, there are too many children, fine, I'll take over a group." Why don't the mothers do that? We need to keep at it with questions like these.

Another question is how to manage the influx of children. The association wants to double the number of licensed female footballers to 80,000 by 2027. There are already 10,000 children on waiting lists. How will this work?

This goal is necessary to create pressure and for women to demand their place. There's no other way.

There's a shortage of courts, locker rooms, coaches, and more for an additional 50,000 licensed players. How is the association helping the clubs?

For example, locker rooms: Why can't the women use the first team's locker room in the morning if they don't play until the afternoon? That's always been the case, they say. I say: There are other ways. The way of thinking—the way we've always done things—has to change. The European Championship has created a positive momentum, and the changes are already visible.

What concrete impact can you make as a federal politician?

When it comes to football pitches, it's difficult. Spatial planning is primarily a municipal matter, and a lot happens there. One of my specific tasks is to prevent cuts to youth and sports funding. For football, that would mean 5 million francs less for coaches. Given the Women's European Championship, this is also absurd as a sign.

How are you using the European Championship to help the women's top league progress?

It's a showcase and needs a better stage. A TV broadcast of the FC Zurich women's match from the Heerenschürli is unattractive compared to the YB women's match from the Stade de Suisse. It's not the product that needs to become more attractive, but rather the stage for the product. It's unacceptable that the FCB women only play at the Joggeli when the Japanese beetle renders their pitch unusable.

Smaller audiences in larger stadiums do not make the product better.

The audience is growing; the last championship was very exciting. At the final between YB and GC, the back straight at Wankdorf was packed, with over 10,000 people. The women's team is doing well; Iman Beney is going to England, and Naomi Luyet is going to Hoffenheim.

As with men: As soon as a young female player becomes an identification figure, she starts chasing after the money.

The comparison is completely wrong. Only a very small number of players can make a living from football in Switzerland. A modest living is possible abroad. So it's only logical that Iman Beney is leaving YB. The least we can do is ensure that the best players in Switzerland can live off their salaries. We're a long way from that. It's a problem for women that they're constantly compared to men. This should stop.

Nevertheless, comparisons are made. As was the case recently with the women's 7-1 defeat against the men's C-Juniors: The latent disdain for women's football became apparent.

Is that just the case in football? No, it's like that in general, not just in sport. It's time this stopped. The question is whether it was unwise to play against junior teams before the European Championship when the media focus is on the team. We shouldn't really have to ask ourselves that question anymore. But is that a bad thing? To be honest, the way it's reported on it reinforces clichés that are no longer relevant. It amuses me when newspapers report on which player is arriving at camp with which Prada bag. The attention on the women is huge; it's a huge joy, even if that attention can be double-edged.

What do you mean?

For example: It's good that Ramona Bachmann talks about her mental health problems. But why doesn't she get as much airtime when it would have only been about her as an outstanding player who experienced the drama of missing the European Championships because of her injury? The mentality is that women are sensitive, delicate, and talk about difficulties and feelings. Men don't. Homosexuality is no longer an issue for women. Among the men, no active player talks about it. Such patterns persist, I'm under no illusions about that. But I think they have to be brought up for discussion.

Equality, growth, acceptance, sexism and much more – isn’t too much being placed on the players’ shoulders?

The team is getting the attention it has long deserved. I don't think all the topics and discussions are a burden. The players are professionals; they will show how good they are.

And what if the Swiss are eliminated after three defeats?

Why so negative? From a sporting perspective, it would be a shame; the quarterfinals must be the goal. But when I see the commitment of politicians, cities, and the whole of Switzerland to this European Championship, it's already a success. People are happy to be there when the women play. There's something in the air. People want to have been there when, in the future, it will be said that the 2025 European Championship was the event that advanced and established women's football in Switzerland.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »