Switzerland were the toast of the continent this summer as hosts of the Women’s European Championship. The national team reached the quarter-finals for the first time and a total of 623,088 were in attendance at the 31 matches, a tournament record. The hope within Switzerland was for a boost at club level similar to what England experienced three years previously. Those heights have not been reached, but there has been a definite bump.
According to Switzerland’s football association, their Women’s Super League has enjoyed a 62% increase in attendances this season, with an average attendance of 787. While that does not compare with the huge spike England’s Women’s Super League had after Euro 2022 – an average attendance increase of 172% the following season – it is still encouraging.
Grasshopper, currently second in the Swiss WSL, had an average attendance of 300 last season; that is up to 450 for this campaign. Thun, bottom of the Swiss WSL, have more than doubled their average attendance, from 156 to 326. Basel, who sit sixth, have experienced a big increase in the amount of season tickets sold, from 300 last season to 800 this. However, the number of supporters attending games there remains roughly the same.
Basel’s women’s sporting director, Fabian Sanginés, says the club are trying different things in order to encourage fans to buy tickets, including offering free popcorn to children. It has had a positive effect but, for Sanginés, it is crucial progress at domestic level goes beyond gimmicks. “When a country applies to host a Euros they need to have a plan,” he says. “The legacy programme here is about trying to ensure we increase certain standards in the youth and also get financial help for them.
“Everyone had a huge hype about the Euros, but hype is for a certain amount of time and we don’t want to be the hype; we want to be sustainable and long term.”
There has also been an increase in interest in the national team. At their first home game after Euro 2025, a 1-0 win over Canada in Lucerne in October achieved via Alayah Pilgrim’s goal, there were 10,025 in attendance, Switzerland’s second-highest attendance for the year outside the tournament.
“We are seeing a steady increase in interest and attendance figures for our matches,” says the Swiss FA. “The attendance figures for the match against Canada in Lucerne are part of this positive trend. We will now be looking at ways of improving the fan experience for the World Cup qualifiers in order to continue to make use of the rise in interest for women’s football.”
What, then, needs to be done to ensure attendances keep growing at club level? ”We saw at the Euros, it was so nice. The atmosphere was super friendly, super welcoming,” says Sanginés. “But then a lot of those people 1763035062 stay at home on a Saturday afternoon. So this is something for society; when you say you want to support you should actually go out and support. People need to go to the matches.
“It’s the same for the companies. If you have been a sponsor for the Euros now might also be the time to be sponsoring a local club. This is what keeps us running and improving.”
Talking points
Kerr makes big impact: Sam Kerr started her first game for Chelsea in 692 days, having recovered from her anterior cruciate ligament injury, in their 6-0 victory over St Pölten in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Australia international scored twice, meaning she is the club’s joint top-scorer this season in all competitions. “Having players returning is really positive, especially coming into this period, where it’s really busy,” said the Chelsea manager, Sonia Bompastor. “We are going to play every three days with big games coming up, so it’s important to have depth and quality. Some players can have a real impact on the club and the team. That’s really positive news.”
Greenwood’s ‘unfinished business’: Alex Greenwood has signed a contract extension at Manchester City that will keep the England defender at the club until 2027. Greenwood initially joined City in 2020 and has played more than 150 games for them. She was named club captain in 2024 after the retirement of Steph Houghton. “I have so much unfinished business to be done and I love this football club,” she said. “It feels like home to me now and this is where I belong and [am] meant to be.”
Atlanta ready to crash NWSL party: The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has confirmed Atlanta will have a franchise in the league from 2028. They will become the NWSL’s 17th club, securing their place with a $165m (£125m) offer. The team will play at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer play. They, too, are owned by the New York-born sports mogul Arthur Blank.
Quote of the day
Maybe sometimes we do play too many games in a congested fixture schedule. There’s not enough recovery time. You can do the research, but ultimately you need to listen to the ones going through it and how we can best find the solutions” – the Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh on the numerous ACL injuries in women’s football, the latest being one for Katie Reid.
Recommended listening
Join Faye Carruthers and the Women’s Football Weekly squad for the latest edition of our podcast.
Recommended viewing
Vålerenga’s surprise win over Roma in the Champions League has shaken up the competition. It is a result no one was expecting and is well worth a watch.
Still want more?
Suzanne Wrack catches up with Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo to discuss her move to coaching, Barcelona and much more.
There was more Champions League action on Wednesday, with PSG’s Mary Earps booed and beaten on her return to Manchester United.
Arsenal were rocked 3-2 in Munich despite leading Bayern by two goals with barely a quarter of the game to play. “We’re not happy, it’s not good enough,” fumed Renée Slegers.
And Sam Lewis reports from Australia, where the A-League Women is reaching a “tipping point” after a scathing report highlighted its stagnation.
