Glenn MooreWomen’s Football
Real make
their move
Madrid giants take over CD Tacon
The problem with being one of the world’s
great football clubs is that nothing can be
done by half measures. There is a brand
to protect and, as the PR industry’s
constant growth underlines, reputation
management is a big deal these days.
This would have been one of the key
considerations when Real Madrid were
pondering whether to jump aboard the
women’s football bandwagon as it picked
up steam over recent years.
When few people were interested, why
bother? When there was no money to be
made, why bother? Understandable, if
not admirable, views.
Even when Real fan, former youth-
team keeper and businessman Alfredo
Ulloa founded Madrid CFF in 2010 –
so his goalkeeping daughter Paola did
not have to join Atletico Madrid – and
clad the team in white as a “wink” to
Florentino Perez, the Real president
was not stirred into action.
But when Atletico can attract 60,000-
plus to Wanda Metropolitano, Barcelona
are able to reach the UEFA Women’s
Champions League Final and Spain’s
international women’s team lead the
front pages, maybe it is time to bother.
However, with a reputation to protect,
Real were never going to start in the
regional leagues. Instead, they bought
CD Tacon, a newly promoted side who
are based in the capital.
Tacon will retain their name this
season, but they are under Real’s
auspices. Rene Ramos, brother and
agent of Real captain Sergio, has joined
the board and the team will play at
Real’s Valdebebas training ground, at
the 6,000-capacity Estadio Alfredo Di
Stefano. Next year they will formally
become Real Madrid.
As with Manchester United, who began
life last season with a fully professional
squad, Real recognise that if they are to
have a women’s team they have to do
it properly. The signings began with
Sweden’s 30-year-old forward Kosovare
Asllani, who was a star of the recent
World Cup and has experience in the
USA (Chicago), France (Paris Saint-
Germain) and England (Manchester City).
Her international strike partner Sofia
Jakobsson was next, followed by the
Brazilian duo Daiane Limeira and Thaisa,
experienced French defender Aurelie
Kaci, Spanish goalkeeper Ana Valles and
her midfield compatriot Ainoa Campo.
The latter switched from Madrid CFF
and Real’s arrival in the women’s game
must limit their possibilities. Ulloa once
indicated that he had set the team up
with a view to Real taking it over. But he
now admits that, after the time and effort
he has invested, surrendering the club
would be hard.
Tacon’s first match under Real’sstewardship is away to Barcelona on
September 8 and, while this cannot yet
be described as La Clasica Femenina, a
heavy defeat would be embarrassing.
Few expect Real to challenge for the
title immediately, especially as their rivals
have strengthened.
Champions Atletico signed Englishstriker Toni Duggan from Barcelona, the
Catalans replacing her with Norway’s
Caroline Graham Hansen from Wolfsburg.
Equally significantly, Barca resisted Lyon’s
overtures to Lieke Martens, persuading
the Dutch striker to extend her deal
to 2022. They also brought Jennifer
Hermoso back from Atletico and
converted Asisat Oshoala’s loan from
Dalian Quanjian to a permanent move.
Besides Duggan, Atletico signed Dutch
keeper Sari Van Veenendaal (Arsenal),
who was the World Cup Golden Gloves
winner, plus prolific Mexican striker
Charlyn Corral (Levante) and Spanish
midfielder Virginia Torrecilla (Montpellier).
Real’s entry into the women’s game
means that Borussia Dortmund and
Porto are now the only men’s Champions
League winners of the last three decades
without a women’s team.
According to the German club:
“Borussia Dortmund has no women’s
football history. The departments are
divided into men’s football, women’s
handball, table tennis and a blind football
team.” Porto, meanwhile, run teams in
basketball, boxing, roller hockey, handball
and swimming, but not women’s football.
In Italy, Internazionale – led by Regina
Baresi, who is the nephew of Franco and
daughter of Giuseppe – are now in the
top flight, joining Juventus, Fiorentina,
Milan and Roma, who made up last
season’s top four despite none having
had a women’s team prior to 2015.
Hoping to capitalise on the post-World
Cup boom, the English season starts withPromoted...Spurs’
Gemma Davison (left)
and Regina Baresi of
Inter (below)Spain top two...Atletico
Madrid’s Silvia Meseguer
(left) and Vicky Losada
of Barcelona“Borussia Dortmund has no women’s football history.
The departments are divided into men’s football,
women’s handball, table tennis and a blind football team”