ABSTRACT
Women’s professional football has succeeded in recent years in relation to fighting former structural challenges and building a positive momentum worldwide. Football’s global powerhouses (e.g., FC Barcelona, Manchester United, FC Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain) are among many professional football clubs which have recently invested in elevating the women’s game (Lowe, 2019). The investment from clubs and leagues, along with increased accountability from sports’ governing bodies (e.g., FIFA, UEFA, national football associations), brought about an improved basis concerning governance, licensing, and thus, the quality of talent management in women’s football. However, Covid-19 threatens the enhanced and reasonable foundation of women’s professional football, which is still a sports product in an establishment phase. With challenges in terms of professionalization and commercialization, the business model of women’s football is vulnerable. Short term, the women’s game requires additional investments to grow, and the long-term sustainability of professional women’s football is subject to operational and financial challenges. This chapter explores why women’s professional football in Denmark is particularly fragile at this time of economic turmoil in the sports industry.
