EqualVoice United Special

«Real change requires a lot more resources»

Interview with Tatjana Haenni, National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)

Tatjana Haenni on the Uefa Women’s Euro 2025 as a turning point, structural gaps – and the courage to act consistently.

Tatjana, one month after the final whistle of the EURO: How do you assess the impact of the tournament?

My expectations were far exceeded – and they were already high. I was convinced that we could fill the stadiums and that Swiss society was much more advanced and interested than many in the football world thought. This was confirmed. But what really fascinated me was the wave of enthusiasm throughout the country: the public viewings, the fan zones, the media coverage, the fantastic TV viewership figures. The commercial leap, how many partners suddenly really activated their sponsorships, also surprised me in its intensity.

You used to work in leadership positions at UEFA and FIFA. You once said you weren’t always the “right” person because you questioned unwritten laws. How do you see that today? Isn’t it precisely these uncomfortable voices that we need?

My critical attitude sometimes helped me and sometimes hurt me. Almost always I was allowed to do my thing because I was well-networked and respected, credible, and my work served the organization’s goals.

When I look at the big associations today, I see more budget for women’s football, but it’s still far from enough. A personality like Nadine Kessler, for example, at UEFA, or Marion Daube at the Swiss Football Association, do excellent work, but for real change, much more women’s football expertise, resources, and decision-making power are needed.

In Spain, the Rubiales affair exposed major conflicts. Are things different in Switzerland?

Here it’s less a sexism debate than a question of priorities and willingness. The core problem is: If you want to strengthen women’s football, you have to take money from somewhere else before new sources of income can be built up. That requires courage and clear decisions from the leadership. This is still too often lacking.

Precisely because money plays a central role: Wouldn’t women’s football be ideal for companies focusing on purpose and social responsibility?

Absolutely. The entry fees are more attractive than for men, which also opens the market for new partners. A problem, however, was often the bundling of rights packages: a large sponsor buys the overall package, but the internal distribution of funds by the association remains intransparent. Only when women’s football is marketed as an independent product with its own offerings, campaigns, and budgets can its full potential be realised.

And what about public funding – has the EURO triggered a rethink?

It has shown what is possible. The cities acted on their own initiative with their fan zones and celebrated a huge success. An investment in women’s sports is an investment in society as a whole – in diversity, in positive community experiences, and in a modern location policy. It’s not only fair, it’s smart and forward-looking.

Which criteria should public authorities weigh more heavily in future funding?

Clearly gender equality in infrastructure. The stadium in Lausanne was built with public funds a few years ago – and initially had only a few women’s toilets in the entire changing room area. No one expected that a women’s football match would ever take place in the stadium. Such blind spots show how little awareness is embedded among planners, clubs, and authorities. Football is for men and women. The same applies to the allocation of public funds, the construction of new football pitches, changing room buildings: If a club receives funding, it must be checked whether girls have equal access. A “we have no space for a girls’ team” must not be accepted. Here, politics must set clear conditions for the allocation of funding.

The media presence of the players was enormous. How can this visibility be maintained in the long term?

It is clear that attention will decrease again. But the level will never be as low as before the tournament. The players have gained a new platform, some have become social media stars. That will remain. What the media makes of it is crucial. Blick and SRF, for example, have shown that professional reporting on women’s football – with the same depth and the necessary resources – meets with great public interest. The realization must be: If you package it correctly, the interest is huge and it is profitable.

Did it play a role that during the EURO almost exclusively women were in the spotlight – on the field, on the sidelines, and in the stadium announcements?

I am not a fan of “only women in women’s football”. True equality will only be achieved when a woman naturally coaches a men’s team. But as long as these doors remain closed, we must specifically promote women in women’s football – to enable them to have careers, experience, and visibility.

The fact that two female coaches were in the final or that Sarina Wiegman led a team to the European Championship final for the third time in a row are incredibly strong statements. To open such doors, sometimes you just need a push – perhaps even quotas.

Doris Keller, as tournament director, also showed this: A woman with her experience brings a different perspective. Marion Daube and Alice Holzer consciously focused on visibility and the promotion of women in the association. That was decisive for the success.

Switzerland was eliminated in the quarter-finals. What does the sporting gap to the top nations mean for the future?

The quarter-finals were an excellent performance and the maximum that could be expected. But one must be realistic: With the current performance, a World Cup or European Championship qualification will be difficult. And that’s exactly where the sticking point is. Without final tournaments, there is no visibility.

Therefore, the SFV must now invest. We have an excellent talent system in men’s football. We need the same investments for women. A full pipeline, targeted support, enough resources…

If you had a free hand, what would be your first step?

There isn’t one step. The most important thing is to seize the momentum. A clear strategy is needed on how the national team can develop back into the top 12 teams in the short term and for the next five to eight years. This includes concrete measures such as outsourcing the AXA Women’s Super League as an independent, commercial product or increasing resources for talent development. The compelling goal must always be: regular qualification for final rounds. Everything stands and falls with that. Funding, visibility, and progress.

Your final word?

I have been involved in national and international women’s football for 30 years and have often experienced that much more was talked about than implemented. But the pressure and expectations are greater than ever today. I hope – and I expect – that we have passed the point where we simply return to business as usual. That we now live what we say. This is the only way can we secure what we have achieved.

September, 2025

Source: Translation of an article first published in HANDELSZEITUNG, EqualVoice United Special, on September 04, 2025.