Hana Výmolová

The growth of women’s football is rapid

Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive

As long as we acknowledge the importance of your Business Lease company leadership, the real reason for this interview is your “hobby” – Women’s Football. Can you tell us about your lifelong journey with this sport?

My journey in women’s football began back in 1991, when I co-founded the South Moravian club Compex Otrokovice as a goalkeeper. From 1993 to 2000, I had the honour of playing for the National Team. Unfortunately, my football career came to an end in 2001 while playing in Brno, due to a knee injury. After a brief break from football, I made a remarkable comeback at the age of 35 as a goalkeeper in a 2nd League team. Despite being a small team, we achieved a significant milestone by reaching the final of the Women’s Cup against Sparta Prague in 2010. My hobby then led me to become the team manager of the women’s team at Sparta Prague in 2012. While I continued working at Business Lease, my leisure time was fully devoted to Sparta. During UEFA Champions League matches, I took time off work to accompany the team and support their success in every possible way.

What is the current development in women’s football on an international scale?

As we can see, the growth of women’s football is rapid. I can compare the development in Europe, and would have to say that our former opponents have progressed significantly. I remember matches against Austria, Portugal, Belarus, and Iceland where we easily won in the past. However, that’s not the case now; these teams have become much stronger, and we’ve lost some important matches that were crucial for promoting our National Team to the European Championship. On the other hand, it’s fair to say that we are still able to compete with the biggest teams like the Netherlands, the USA, and England.

Is the women’s football league in Czechia professional or amateur?

Our Fortuna League is amateur, and there are eight teams. Let me try to explain more about our background. The biggest football clubs in the Czech Republic are Sparta and Slavia Prague. Their rich history has led to numerous remarkable achievements, and they have consistently produced many famous and skilled players. Naturally, the National Team is predominantly made up of players from these two clubs, complemented by talent from other teams within our league. Given the strong foundation and resources of Sparta and Slavia, it’s fair to say that their players are now fully professional. However, this dominance impacts the competitiveness of the Fortuna League. To raise the overall quality and challenge Sparta and Slavia to perform even better, we need more teams at their level.

Who is the best woman footballer in Czechia and in the world?

The best player is selected by the professional public, including league team coaches, national team coaches, and team captains. For this season, the Czech footballer Kamila Dubcová (playing for the Austrian club Sankt Pölten) was recognised as the best player of the last season. Aitana Bonmatí (FC Barcelona) was named the best player in the world in 2024.

Who do you think are the most famous women players?

It is difficult to answer this question, as the measurement of fame can vary. Nowadays, fame is often equated with the number of followers. Considering this, I believe the most famous football player in Czechia now is Barbora Votíková, the goalkeeper for the Czech National Team and Slavia Prague. She is well known as a popular YouTuber, and thanks to her online presence she has been able to help promote women’s football. From this perspective, I am not able to mention the most famous player in the world. Sorry.

Do female footballers get paid the same as their male counterparts?

No, they do not. We can read articles about efforts to achieve equal pay in sports worldwide, but for me, the situation is clear. If the product is valuable enough and generates revenue for stakeholders, then we can consider monetising the game – but not before. Payment should reflect the value being delivered. Take the Women’s Super League in England as an example. They are getting closer to financial sustainability, regularly selling out stadiums like Anfield, Stamford Bridge, and Wembley for major matches. They generate significant revenue, and as a result players can demand higher wages. We are still far from that level. Our best-attended match had just over 7,000 spectators, and there was no profit.

Can we say, though, that female footballers are as good as men?

Again, this is a difficult question. The angle from which you compare quality matters. I believe it shouldn’t be compared at all. Can we truly compare Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek? No, we cannot. While they play the same sport, their physical attributes make direct comparison impossible. Every sport has its own dedicated fans, and issues arise when typical football fans of the men’s game watch women’s matches with the mindset of men’s playing style. It’s unrealistic to compare speed, strength, dynamics, and other aspects that are influenced by biological differences. I am happy that we are building our own fan group for women’s football. Typically, we have many families, children’s groups, and seniors in the stands. The stadium offers a higher level of safety, and there is less aggression.

After about three years, you left your managerial position at Sparta Prague. What were the reasons behind your decision?

Honestly, I was challenged to pursue my dream when I received an offer to work at both a club and the Czech Football Association. In 2020, I accepted the role of women’s national team manager, but it was difficult balancing this position with my responsibilities at Business Lease.

When Sparta offered me the position of Head of Women’s Football, I developed a two-year plan to build the structure and ensure the financial stability of the section. Nearly three years of being fully immersed in football were incredibly demanding. In my first season, I didn’t have a single day off for 25 weeks. To add to the challenge, I began working as a full-time football professional during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortunately, we managed everything well. Aside from the unplayed UEFA Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain – due to COVID in our opponent’s squad – all matches and trips were successful from an organisational point of view. That was my responsibility, and I look back on those moments with pride.

When I built the club’s structure, including the girls’ academy, I realized that we needed coaches in leading positions. Their education and expertise allow them to discuss highly specific topics on a daily basis, which is essential for progress. However, coaching was never my path. I am not a coach, and, over time, I felt I was losing my ability to contribute to discussions about tactics, playing style, and other technical aspects. I recognised that in order to remain valuable within the structure my role needed to evolve.

I started to be disappointed by my surroundings and began losing my ideals about fair relationships, especially when I saw that agreements made one day were not upheld the next. Football has its own unique dynamics, completely different from the business world, and I struggled with this.

During that period, I received an offer from Business Lease to return. Making the decision was not easy, but I have been involved in women’s football since I started playing back in 1991. First as a player, and later on, since 2010, as an official. Now, seeing the new generation gives me hope – we have fresh potential and new energy to drive the development of women’s football.

Last but not least, it is time to let them do their job. They are not affected by the conditions we faced at the very beginning. They do not want to hear our comparisons, which always start with: “When I played, I had to survive with one pair of cleats for two seasons.” (smiles)