After Manchester United launched a women’s side in 2018-19, every major English club has one and teams in Europe are following suit.
Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt have announced intentions to take over local women’s teams CD Tacon and FFC Frankfurt respectively – but who is yet to catch up?
Scotland
Livingston is the only Scottish Premiership side to not have a women’s team, though there are no professional sides established yet.
Celtic had planned to form a professional women’s team by the end of 2019 and the Hoops also submitted plans for a women’s training center.
In June, Scotland FA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: “A number of clubs are looking at pretty much full-time women’s teams. The more opportunities there will be for girls, the more clubs will follow suit.”
Germany
Borussia Dortmund is arguably the biggest side in Europe without a women’s team.
When approached by BBC Sport, the club replied: “Borussia Dortmund focuses on the women’s handball team, which has a long and successful history.”
From 2009, Hertha BSC had cooperation with FC Lubars, but because of financial issues, they lost their licences for the second tier of the women’s Bundesliga and were relegated in 2015.
They had been set to play in the BerlinLiga but had to pull out, and no move has been made to create a new team to represent Hertha.
During the 1970s, Schalke 04 had a women’s team but they were dissolved in the mid-eighties.
Since then they have cooperated with FFC Recklinghausen, who are the reigning champions of the Westfalenliga (fourth division).
SC Paderborn 07 were promoted to the men’s Bundesliga for the 2019-20 season. They are the only one of the promoted clubs not to have a women’s side.
France
Rennes are one of a number of Ligue 1 sides not to have an affiliated women’s team.
Their stadium, Roazhon Park, was one of the venues for the Women’s World Cup and hosted the quarter-final in which Sweden beat Germany 2-1.
Amiens, Nantes, and Nimes are also without a women’s team.
Spain
With Real Madrid now getting a women’s team, Celta Vigo is one of the only clubs in La Liga still without one.
President Carlos Mourino said to Spanish newspaper Marca: “We can’t do it as long as we don’t have any other pitches.
“It’s absurd, it’s impossible. An agreement would be feasible, but the team wouldn’t take Celta’s name.”
Real Valladolid had a women’s team between 2009 and 2011 but they disbanded because of changes in Spanish FA rules and the high financial cost.
In January 2019, club president Ronaldo revealed he wants to reassemble the women’s football team in the “imminent future”.
However, there have been no updates since, and they are yet to respond to BBC Sport’s request for comment. Read More
