REAL MADRID
Real Madrid continue to resist starting a women's team
Despite 21.1% of the clubs members being women, there is still no Real Madrid women's team, with Florentino Perez saying there would be one soon back in 2017.
Real Madrid are the most decorated club in Europe but they continue to resist starting a women's team. Not even social pressure after the success of the Spanish women's team or the unstoppable boom of women's professional licenses handed out (in the last 17 years, it has exploded to 60,239) can convince them. The 19,682 female socios at the club, 21.1% of the toal, haven't been able to change their mind either.
Florentino Pérez continues to reject the possibility but since 2017 he has been ambigious in his responses about the issue. In September of that year, on El Larguero, he responded to the question by saying "for sure, we will have one; this year, we can't because we are already late but we will see what happens next year." Three weeks later, he said at the assembly that "at the moment, we are in what we are in. We want to make a women's team from amateurism, for the young girls to play but not to sign a German, a Brazilian.... that is not what Madridismo is all about."
Real Madrid are with Celta (who had one from 1983 to 1988), Valladolid (between 2009 and 2011 and Getafe as teams in the Primera without a women's team. In the women's league, there is a team based in Madrid called Madrid CFF, founded by a madridista (the businessman Alfredo Ulloa) who was inspired by the club from the badge to their colours. There are 250 players playing with them. The structure is there.
They are not interested though and not in the new league structure either, which will see two leagues run parallel to each other to help the development of younger players. Javier Tebas says he would love to see a 'female Clásico' and Michel said, "sooner or later, there will be a Real Madrid women's team." But still nothing.
The lack of women within the club's hierarchy is also telling. In the last general meeting, of the 16 directors, just one of them was a woman, Catalin Miñarro. Within the organisation, of the 13 roles, just one woman is employed, Begoña Sanz. For the 13 teams in La Fabrica, just one women is registered as a coach, Patricia Lorenzo, an assistant for the Alevin A side. However, according to the club's data, 39% of the club's employees are women.
As potential customers, however, Real Madrid are keen to sell to women. On the official website, you can buy women's jerseys. Also, there are 22 more products licensed for women including a bikini model in Real Madrid blue.
In point 2.1 of the club's corporate responsibility form, it says, "The social objective of the club is the development of sport for all athletes."
Except, it seems, women, footballers who dream of wearing the jersey.