UEFA women’s football is made up of trains with different speeds.

Europe with two high-speed trains!

Behind the historic Germany, France and now England and Spain are pulling a train with Italy, which could be the last carriage of this train of excellence, in which we find: a good national team, a quality championship, clubs in general in the quarter-finals of the European competition, a continuous television coverage of the championship and players evolving under mixed status, a professional part, another amateur.

The northern countries, always present in international competitions, such as the Netherlands (European champion and world vice-champion), Sweden (silver medal at the Olympic Games, 3rd in the world), Denmark (European vice-champion), and Norway constitute a second configuration with international players who play for clubs in the five major championships (Barcelona, Arsenal, PSG, Bayern, Juventus, etc.)

This gives these five leagues a strength that can be seen in the qualifiers for the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League.

Then there is another, very different environment, where women’s football is not a job but a sport to be played, which offers you the opportunity of a national selection, quality travel, participation in renowned international competitions such as the Euro, the Olympics and a World Cup.

Poland, a country with a future!

In this numerous group, since UEFA has 54 federations, I would like to focus on the former Eastern European countries where the football tradition is important, associated with elites used to expatriation.

A group made up of Azerbaijan, Slovenia, Slovakia, Russia, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belarus and Belarus. If we exclude Russia, which has the means in terms of population as well as private funding, I would put Poland as the leader of this group.

A women’s national team with three second places in three separate tournaments: Istria Cup (2013), Cyprus Cup (2016), Algarve Cup (2019). A progress, step by step, to which we must give all its truth, with the recent draw between Poland (29th fifa) and Norway (12th), opponents in their qualifying group for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

A performance to be validated as Poland, with Paulina Dudek in the captain’s armband, had also achieved a (0-0) against Belgium (19th) to whom they return 10 places.

Talent to be found!

Countries that are taking off with talented players: Ewa Pajor, centre-forward of Vfl Wolfsburg, is currently injured. Paulina Dudek (PSG), in full professional bloom under the Eiffel Tower, and Katarzyna Kiedrzynek (PSG for seven years and Wolfsburg).

There is certainly quality to be found in the Eastern European countries. The Slovenians Zver (33 years old), Praznikar (23 years old), Begic (27 years old) and Kolbl (23 years old) have shown us this and the website of the Polish federation confirms it, with as latest news, a match against Brazil in … 2019.

William Commegrain Lesfeminines.fr