The world’s most prominent female futsal players have called fifa Ending its “deeply discriminatory” approach to the women’s game by introducing the World Cup to bring parity with men’s FIFA-sanctioned small-sided game.
In a letter sent to FIFA President Gianni Infantino – seen by the Guardian – players call for an end to their “marginalization” and the governing body to curb the growing popularity of indoor five-a-sides amid the growing popularity of women. urge. Priority should be given to the event. The game is played by an estimated 60 million people globally.
Citing “deep concern” over the “abuse and public disregard” of the game, the letter called for FIFA’s refusal to grant a women’s tournament a “deeply discriminatory” sanction and said it was a “violation of gender equality”. does”.
The plea comes at the ninth edition of the men’s futsal World Cup in Lithuania over the weekend, with 2016 champions Argentina, five-time winners Brazil and double-champion Spain the favourites.
“We are being discriminated against,” said Natalia Orive, a Spanish first-class player and president of the Spanish Women’s futsal Organization. “That’s the key. I don’t want to use the word discrimination to refer to the victim. That’s because it’s the reality.
“It’s very unfair,” Oriv, who wrote the letter, told the Guardian. “It’s Called Marginada” [marginalised] in Spain. Why is this happening? They don’t have any answer. But it also goes against their own rules and ethical principles of governance. In [the Fifa strategy for women’s football] In 2018, he talked about equality, being inclusive, with men and women no different. But they forget about futsal. without any explanation. “
The first FIFA Men’s Futsal World Cup was held in 1989. With Brazil, Spain, Italy there has been a significant increase in the women’s game in the last decade. and Iran Leads to professionalism.
uefa Introduced a Women’s Euro in 2019, conquered by spainOne year after puberty, men and women Futsal replaced football For the first time at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
Of the 211 member states of FIFA, only 55 have a national women’s team, while nearly two-thirds (140) run a men’s team. In England, the FA failed to follow through on their resolve to form an England women’s team and abandoned their men’s team. to cut costs At the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020.
FIFA is committed to introducing a “Women’s Futsal Competition” as its first part strategy for women’s football in 2018.
Brazil’s Amandinha is among the leading futsal players who have supported the social media campaign with FIFA’s request. Best player in the world six timesSpain’s Euro 2019 winning captain, Anita Lujan, Iran’s two-time AFC Women’s Championship winner Fereshte Karimi and Portugal and Benfica goalkeeper Ana Caterina.
Iran’s outstanding player of the tournament in Iran’s historic 2015 AFC title win, Iran’s Karimi, told the Guardian that the lack of a Women’s World Cup was “the biggest weakness for FIFA”, adding: “I expect this gender discrimination in futsal to come soon.” Will come.” Will disappear and we women futsal will make our dream come true.
A FIFA spokesman said it was “examining the landscape of women’s football competitions – covering all disciplines, including futsal”, adding: “The priority is to ensure that these new competitions are not only women will provide an important platform to sustain but provide more opportunities for women and girls to play football. The introduction of any new competition should reflect the overall development scenario.
“A recent example of this approach, and steps being taken by FIFA in developing competitions in futsal in particular, include the introduction of futsal into the program of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, in which equal numbers of men and women participated.”
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For Oriv, futsal is highly beneficial for girls and women to play because “it is easier to play five players than 11” and it is a famous its skill development potential Whether players stick to futsal or take their skills to an outdoor sport. But FIFA has a responsibility to encourage more countries to promote participation in women’s indoor sport, she said.
With increasing demand for futsal to be included in the full Olympics from Tokyo 2021, Orive sees a huge opportunity for the women’s sport.
“We’re talking about Olympic futsal now,” she said. “But to get there we need the Women’s Futsal World Cup first.”