The announcement fell like a bucket of cold water on all those who were patiently waiting for the restart of women’s football in Colombia.
“In the season schedule it is established that the Women’s League begins on July 18 and ends the first weeks of September because Conmebol sent information that the 2020 women’s Libertadores will be in March and this year’s version will begin in September”.
This is how Dimayor confirmed the holding of a tournament that will last between seven and eight weeks, hopefully.
The great victory that was the first edition of the tournament, in 2017, with 18 participating teams and 4 months of duration, has been counting each edition with defeats: 3 and a half months in 2018 (23 teams), 2 and a half months in 2019 ( 20 teams), 2 months in 2020 (13 teams) and less than 2 months in 2021, with no certainty of how many competitors there will be, because according to the organization, there will be a meeting until next week to decide the system and conditions of the new tournament. Except for the last tournament, marked by the pandemic, there is no concrete justification for a setback that is undeniable.
The players themselves have raised their voices to protest the treatment of a league that cost so much to build, which was a ‘campaign promise’ from the current president of Dimayor, Fernando Jaramillo, but which has still not started, let alone consolidate or grow …
“And we return to the usual excuse, the Copa Libertadores. It is worrying that each year we go back further. There is no commitment, no guarantees, or times for women in Colombian football,” said Isabella Echeverry, player of the Colombian National Team and Sevilla from Spain.
And we return to the usual excuse, The Copa Libertadores. It is worrying that each year we go back further. There is no commitment, no guarantees, and no time for women in Colombian soccer. #Outrageous https://t.co/AvJn4KUiEG
— Isabella Echeverri R (@Isaeche11) February 2, 2021
In turn Natalia Gaitán, historic captain of Colombia, claimed: “It is very difficult for the players to reach their maximum level of performance in a month and a half. It is very difficult that in a month and a half it will be possible to attract the maximum number of spectators. very difficult for sponsors to join in with a product that only lasts a month and a half, “he said.
And she added: “It is very difficult for a PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE to develop in a month and a half. A REAL commitment is needed from all the players for the development of women’s football in Colombia and to provide the necessary guarantees to the players.”
It is very difficult for the players to reach their maximum level of performance in a month and a half. It is very difficult to attract the maximum number of viewers in a month and a half. It is very difficult for sponsors to join with a product that only lasts a month and a half (1/2) pic.twitter.com/FstPpqbV5M
– Natalia Gaitán L. (@ NataliaGaitan3) February 2, 2021
The demands of the players are identical to those of a couple of years ago, when they fought for a first professional league that, as Gaitán says, in less than two months it is difficult to qualify in that way.
Thus, as Yoreli Rincón assures, the only Colombian included in the ideal eleven of the Conmebol decade.
Month and a half Unusual – unacceptable
For a word PROFESSIONAL
