After a decade of playing in the Bundesliga, Marissa Ewers made the move from Germany to England four years ago. Speaking about the Women’s Super League (WSL), she said: "This is the league to go to for players all over the world because, I think in terms of competitiveness, this may already be the strongest league in the world.”

The central midfielder transferred from Birmingham FC to Aston Villa last year, helping them on their way to victory in the FA Women’s Championship. The club were promoted to the WSL for the first time in history, joining the top division after the 2019/2020 season saw its biggest growth in public attendance and television audiences, before ending prematurely due to Coronavirus.

 

It is not just the quality on the pitch, but the broader perspective towards women’s football in England that adds to the appeal of playing here.

Ewers said: “Germany has been very successful in terms of the National Team and the Bundesliga, but at some point we missed the opportunity to invest long-term to increase marketing sponsoring, like what you see right now over here in England.”

The VSI delegate added: “The history might not be as long, as we’ve only been more competitive in the last two or three years, but this year especially we’ve got very competitive as we’ve got players from all over the world now. I think in terms of investment and support [the WSL] attracts more sponsors, and the quality of the players gets better automatically because they get exposed to more competitiveness on the pitch.”

Unsurprisingly, the improving standards of the WSL has led to more players wanting to get involved with the English league. The unexpected ending of contracts due to Coronavirus has meant that more international footballers are able to join the WSL, particularly from the US. This helps bring quality to the English game. Ewers added: “You can see now when you watch the game, physically and technically, standards have increased a lot with the Lionesses.”

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Ewers, who studies an MSc in Sports Directorship alongside her playing career, spoke of her hopes and the potential for the future of women’s football.

She said: “I think it’s great that they show our games domestically, but also in other countries more and more, and I think that will be important to keep the teams going. I just hope that the clubs still invest in women’s football because it has been such a good development so far and it’s important that they keep going and say yes to women’s football!"