GENEVA (AP) 鈥� When Arsenal parades the club鈥檚 trophies won this season through north London on Sunday, the women鈥檚 team will share the spotlight.
While the men鈥檚 team is 鈥� and maybe Europe after the on Saturday 鈥� the women鈥檚 team is also a world champion.
The inaugural was won in January and the Gunners鈥� management wants that success to be feted.
鈥淲e are one club,鈥� Arsenal chief commercial officer Juliet Slot told an audience of women鈥檚 soccer leaders at a UEFA-hosted conference.
A clear message at the annual 鈥淯EFA Business Case for Women鈥檚 Football鈥� event held in Oslo was to view the sport as one, and not separate by gender.
鈥淚 actually think that鈥檚 a big statement and that it should be like that,鈥� former Arsenal player Johan Djourou told the Associated Press of the bus parade plans.
鈥淚f a club promotes both at the same time, that we do the parade together, it鈥檚 huge,鈥� added Djourou, the technical director of .
The conference brought together industry leaders ahead of the UEFA last Saturday between two powers, Barcelona and OL Lyonnes.
Clubs driving change
UEFA created a women鈥檚 European club competition in 2001 and the first title games featured independent clubs. FFC Frankfurt was the first champion, beating which won titles in 2003 and 鈥�04.
Germany鈥檚 Turbine Potsdam won in 2005 and 鈥�10 and the last indie to reach a final, 2015 champion Frankfurt, later merged with the city鈥檚 men鈥檚 club Eintracht.
鈥淚 always thought the women鈥檚 game would change gear the moment that the big men鈥檚 clubs buy in,鈥� UEFA deputy secretary general Giorgio Marchetti said.
Marchetti praised long-time as a visionary who saw the value of investing in a women鈥檚 team. Lyon won a record eight Women鈥檚 Champions Leagues from 2011-22, and lost two of the past three finals to Barcelona.
Independent clubs were financially steamrolled as storied names like , and Juventus entered the arena since 2017.
A rare challenge to the new reality is coming from , now the owner at Lyon 鈥� rebranded as OL Lyonnes 鈥� and trying to make progress with London City Lionesses, which she bought in 2023.
Arsenal is approaching its 40th season, and increasingly plays games at the club鈥檚 60,000-seat stadium.
鈥淭reat women鈥檚 football as an investment. Invest with patience,鈥� club director Slot advised the UEFA-invited audience, suggesting also 鈥渘ever give away free tickets鈥� to games.
Transfer fees rising
The world record transfer fee in women鈥檚 soccer has more than doubled in two years.
Arsenal set a record last year paying 1 million pounds (then $1.34 million) for Canada forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool, then signing Lizbeth Ovalle from Mexico鈥檚 Tigres UANL.
Tigres executive Carlos Valenzuela told the Oslo audience money from a player sale to Chelsea funded its youth teams down to under-13 level. That was U.S. international Mia Fishel鈥檚 move in 2023 for a reported $250,000.
Barcelona鈥檚 Xavier O鈥機allaghan said technical support such as doctors and analysts for the women鈥檚 team is 鈥済etting closer鈥� to the men’s level. He cautioned, 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost impossible to keep everyone happy 100%.鈥�
Women’s Euros developing the game
Women鈥檚 soccer still offers good value as the game grows fast, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin insisted: 鈥淚t is relatively cheap if you compare to the men鈥檚 football still. You should invest.鈥�
UEFA鈥檚 marquee event driving growth is the European Championship that .
Ceferin quipped that Nadine Kessler, the Germany great who is UEFA director of women鈥檚 soccer, promised that that tournament will at least break even financially.
The 2025 edition was a big success, even a surprising one, in Switzerland that with about 25 million euros ($29 million). Djourou sees at least a five-year path to develop the domestic club game.
鈥淚 cannot say to you that today the stadiums are packed because of the Euros,鈥� Djourou told the AP. 鈥淭here are more girls playing. It鈥檚 been positive but not to the point where I can say that we鈥檝e seen a significant difference.鈥�
Promoting women leaders
鈥淲hen it comes to, for example, women in leadership positions we know that it鈥檚 a bit stuck,鈥� said Lise Klaveness, president of the that promotes equal representation in boardrooms.
Klaveness and Laura McAllister of Wales 鈥� both former internationals 鈥� are the only women on the .
UEFA鈥檚 Marchetti noted the clear direction of travel, while cautioning: 鈥淭he worst mistake would be to become impatient and say, 鈥楾his is not enough.鈥欌��
Three-time Women鈥檚 Euros said on stage with Klaveness and Marchetti the soccer industry had to catch up.
鈥淪ociety is ready for women in football in every position, male or female football,鈥� England coach Wiegman said, 鈥渂ut the football world itself is not ready yet. That is why you need women in the boardroom.鈥�
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