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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

'Weakest link' women's soccer will suffer the most in COVID-19 crisis - Hegerberg

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'Weakest link' women's soccer will suffer the most in COVID-19 crisis - Hegerberg
'Weakest link' women's soccer will suffer the most in COVID-19 crisis - Hegerberg

Olympique Lyonnais striker Ada Hegerberg worries recent gains in women’s soccer could be undone by the COVID-19 epidemic calling the women’s game the “weakest link”.

SHOWS: POZNAN, POLAND (JUNE 5, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

VARIOUS OF OLYMPIQUE LYON STRIKER AND 2018 WOMEN'S BALLON D'OR WINNER, ADA HEGERBERG WORKING OUT AS CONTINUES HER REHABILITATION FOLLOWING A KNEE INJURY 2.

BACK OF HEGERBERG'S LEGS WITH TATTOO ON RIGHT CALF 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIQUE LYON STRIKER AND 2018 WOMEN'S BALLON D'OR WINNER, ADA HEGERBERG, ON THE POSSIBLE IMPACT THE PANDEMIC WILL HAVE ON THE WOMEN'S GAME, SAYING: "I mean, when you see that football as a whole is suffering a lot, you can picture yourself how much women's football is going to suffer.

So, looking at our historical aspect, you -- there's always the weakest link that's going to suffer the most.

In this subject I think we are the weakest subjects.

So, it's all about not losing that position, that positive trend that women's football had since a while now and maintain the whole women-in-football into the discussion when important decisions are made." 4.

VARIOUS OF HEGERBERG DOING LEG EXERCISES WITH TRAINER 5.

HEGERBERG'S SHOES WHILE DOING EXERCISE 6.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIQUE LYON STRIKER AND 2018 WOMEN'S BALLON D'OR WINNER, ADA HEGERBERG, ON THE FINANCIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GAME, SAYING: "I think the financial side, it's always been tough for women in football.

It's all about giving everyone the same opportunities, living in a professional way, being taken good care of by the clubs and the federations, so they actually can give the best out of themselves every day in order to perform and there's a long way to go still.

We're not talking about the same amount of money like in the men's game, but a small piece of the cake in order to be professionals.

In order to give the best out of ourselves, in order to give the best products.

So, I think it's tough times, even more tough times with the whole COVID situation.

So, it's going to be challenging times, you could say, in the months to come, but hopefully the people in the higher positions will acknowledge that and help as much as they can." 7.

VARIOUS OF HEGERBERG DOING SIT-UPS WHILE HOLDING A WEIGHT ABOVE HER HEAD 8.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIQUE LYON STRIKER AND 2018 WOMEN'S BALLON D'OR WINNER, ADA HEGERBERG, ADA HEGERBERG, ON MORE HELP FROM FIFA AND UEFA, SAYING: "We are the ones who are responsible - the players - in performing, training better and better every day.

That's our main responsibility and I take that very seriously as well, because if we don't perform, we don't have a product as well.

But we need this backup and help to establish ourselves from FIFA, from UEFA, from the clubs and federations.

So, they have a very big responsibility in this as well, in promoting the game, giving girls the same opportunities and there's still a long way to go in order to take women's football to the next level.

So, we're still pushing for it and it's up to us players to perform, but they need to push as well." 9.

VARIOUS OF HEGERBERG BALANCING 10.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIQUE LYON STRIKER AND 2018 WOMEN'S BALLON D'OR WINNER, ADA HEGERBERG, ON JOINING THE NIKE BRAND, SAYING: "This partnership with Nike is obviously such a big thing.

I think that Nike has inspired millions of people for a century and I think they're kind of the ground-breaking organisation that makes the difference for women in sports.

And I really want to be a part of that; continue to perform and obviously write new history with Nike.

That's my biggest dream at the moment." 11.

HEGERBERG SPEAKING TO TRAINER STORY: The recent progress of women's soccer is at risk of being undone as the sport is brought to a standstill by the novel coronavirus, according to 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg.

In an interview with Reuters, the Olympique Lyonnais striker said both the men's and women's games are suffering due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 but believes women's soccer is the "weakest link".

The 24-year-old said it's important for soccer's governing bodies to help support and maintain the profile of the women's game and giving it the same opportunities as the men's during these challenging times.

"I mean when you see that football as a whole is suffering a lot, you can picture yourself how much the women's football is going to suffer," Hegerberg told Reuters during an interview in Poznan, Poland, where her husband Thomas Rogne plays for Lech Poznan.

"So, looking at our historical aspect, you -- there's always the weakest link that's going to suffer the most.

In this subject I think we are the weakest subjects.

So, it's all about not losing that position, that positive trend that women's football had since a while now and maintain the whole women-in-football into the discussion when important decisions are made." However with the men's game resuming in various countries across Europe, most of the women's leagues have not.

The women's game also depends heavily on international tournaments for visibility, meaning that the postponement of the Olympic Games, from 2020 to 2021, was a significant blow.

The players' union FIFPRO said in April that it feared the women's game could face an "existential threat" and many players could lose their livelihoods in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Hergerberg, said: "I think the financial side, it's always been tough for women in football.

It's all about giving everyone the same opportunities, living in a professional way, being taken good care of by the clubs and the federations, so they actually can give the best out of themselves every day in order to perform and there's a long way to go still.

"We're not talking about the same amount of money like in the men's game, but a small piece of the cake in order to be professionals.

In order to give the best out of ourselves, in order to give the best products.

So, I think it's tough times, even more tough times with the whole COVID situation.

So, it's going to be challenging times, you could say, in the months to come, but hopefully the people in the higher positions will acknowledge that and help as much as they can.

"We need this backup and help to establish ourselves from FIFA, from UEFA, from the clubs and federations.

So, they have a very big responsibility in this as well, in promoting the game, giving girls the same opportunities and there's still a long way to go in order to take women's football to the next level.

So, we're still pushing for it and it's up to us players to perform, but they need to push as well." Hegerberg's own season had been cut short by the time the new coronavirus wiped out the sporting calendar, but the break has given her time to rehabilitate her injured knee and she is relishing her return to training.

Olympique Lyonnais' Hegerberg ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament in training in January, a blow that immediately ended the prolific forward's campaign.

Hegerberg is now training hard in Poznan as she builds up her strength ahead of next season.

Still only 24, Hegerberg, who has signed a new 10-year sponsorship deal with Nike, has already won five French league titles and four Champions League trophies with Lyon, scoring 216 goals in 177 appearances for the club.

The Norway forward's new sponsorship deal will make her one of Nike's most high-profile athletes and Hegerberg hopes it will help her on the pitch and also give her a platform off it.

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