If a Swiss footballer plays well, she leaves Switzerland. This helps the national team, but not the league.

If you were to invite someone from outside the industry to the Stade de Genève and show them what the Swiss national team is capable of, they would be amazed. The third European Championship group match against Denmark on Thursday evening may not be a feast for the eyes, but the final phase is extraordinarily intense in terms of emotional intensity. Officially, 26,388 spectators were in the arena, the Swiss equalized to 1-1 in the 92nd minute, the European Championship quarterfinals, and a riot of celebration in the red national colors.

Once the emotional rush has passed, one would have to inform the invited guest: By the way, this team has to be cross-subsidized. This means: The Swiss Football Association (SFV) isn't earning a single cent from this celebration. It has to add something. Unless the women's football team advances to the semifinals in Friday's quarterfinal against Spain, which would bring in another €700,000 in UEFA bonuses on top of the €2.5 million already earned.

Only in this unlikely event would the SFV's European Championship accounts slip into the black. So far, the SFV has only earned something with its women's national team at the 2023 World Cup in New Zealand – thanks to bonuses from the world governing body FIFA.

The example of the home Euro shows that a sense of reality is needed in euphoric women's football days. Regarding the Swiss champions, YB, this means: Iman Beney (soon to be 19, now with Manchester City), Naomi Luyet (19, Hoffenheim), and Leana Zaugg (24, Bochum, 2. Bundesliga) are all leaving Bern. Runners-up GC loses Noemi Ivelj (18, Frankfurt), and Basel loses Aurélie Csillag (22, SC Freiburg).

The young female footballers have become role models in their clubs. Or "role models," as national coach Pia Sundhage puts it. Local fans wear jerseys that no longer just feature Xhaka, Kobel, or Embolo, but also Beney, Luyet, Ivelj, and Wälti. But as soon as a name is printed on the back of the jersey, the player is transferred away, even if she's not yet 20 years old.

YB couldn't have kept Beney under any circumstances. The same applies to GC and Ivelj. "If a young woman wants to focus on football, we can't offer that. Not yet," says Fränzi Schild, the overall manager of YB's women's department. That's the reality in women's football; there's no way to do it domestically yet – "We can't suddenly turn everyone into professional players; that's impossible. But we are determined to continue improving the framework."

Grasshopper Club is also considering this. But the starting point is crystal clear, says Christian Künzli, managing director of the GC women's team: "It's always about the overall package and the project." When a potential GC figure visits SC Freiburg or Frankfurt, they're already on the move. The infrastructure is better, the pitch, the salary, and its possible components, such as an apartment and a car.

When applied to the Women's Super League in Switzerland, this means the search for potential role models begins all over again. Beney would be the ideal player for the YB women to take notice of. Especially after this European Championship. But that was once upon a time.

For both the association and the clubs, the question is how to capitalize on the European Championship euphoria in terms of the audience, the infrastructure, sponsors, staff, and wages. Away from cross-subsidies and toward more self-financing. Millions still need to be provided at every level , which is often generated by the men's division – or by private contributions, as is the case with GC.

In Bern and Zurich, sponsors have become increasingly interested in women's football over the past few months, but this is far from covering costs. The European Championship won't turn everything upside down.

The aim for the association and the clubs is therefore to enjoy the euphoria, try to build on the momentum, and expand as sustainably as possible. The SFV's legacy program "Here to Stay" is beginning to show success. 260 grassroots football clubs are participating, and a total of 1,200 development measures have been implemented to date. These include the establishment of new girls' and women's teams, as well as the training and integration of female officials, coaches, and referees.

Significant is the recently announced maternity protection policy at YB. If a player or coach becomes pregnant during the final year of their contract, their contract is automatically extended by one year. A sign of the times.

The SFV has "backed the right horse" with its not always uncontroversial bid for the European Championship finals, says General Secretary Robert Breiter. However, for now, not much will change financially within the association. The men's team remains the money-making machine, more or less financing the entire organization. This is primarily thanks to FIFA and UEFA prize money and marketing rights. UEFA provided over €18 million for the men's Euro 2024. The women's league is also under the SFV umbrella.

The contracts with the SFV's main partners run until 2028, including the women's team. Currently, it is still unthinkable at any level to economically separate the men's and women's teams. "I'm not going around with my wallet open in front of potential sponsors," said Marion Daube, responsible for women's football at the SFV, at a press conference on Friday.

Despite warning voices about the imminent return to normal, Breiter believes the glass remains half full, "and we can be proud of that." The extent of the affection was previously "unimaginable," adds Daube. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the women's team will not be applauded by 30,000 people at their home games after the European Championships – as recently happened in Basel, Bern, and Geneva.

Today, it's almost unimaginable that the Swiss Football Association (SFV) signed a usage agreement with the city of Biel in 2013, based in part on federal funds. The arena in Biel (capacity 5,200) will be the national stadium for the women's national team until 2033. This shows where the team was located not so long ago. In the midst of European Championship fever, that seems to have been lost. But that's just how it is. At some point, the post-European Championship era will begin.

After the European Championship, the women's competition will not get serious again until 2026, with the qualifying phase for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Relegation from Group A of the Nations League makes the path to the World Cup more difficult.

Whether the coaching team, led by 65-year-old Swede Pia Sundhage , will continue will be determined after the European Championships. The signs pointed to a departure earlier than now. But even in these personnel matters, the heart shouldn't decide. And certainly not the moment. Or better yet, the mind should guide, accompanied by the heart.

Not to mention: Before the tournament, there were numerous questions surrounding the team, which had been winless for months . The differences remain, either way: In 2024, the fixed salary costs (excluding bonuses) for the coaching team led by Murat Yakin amounted to nearly CHF 2 million for the men's team and CHF 610,000 for the women's team.

One thing seems certain, with or without Sundhage: austerity exercises are no longer possible for women.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »