Spiked: Baby, Baby, Ballaballa

In 1955, Sepp Herberger, the head of the German national (men's) football team, thought that women and football were a no-go. That year, the German Football Association banned its affiliated clubs from setting up women's sections and providing sports facilities for women. The reason: "In the battle for the ball, female grace disappears, body and soul inevitably suffer damage and the display of the body violates propriety and decency." I see. And yet British women had already started playing football 92 years earlier. On March 23, 1895, more than 10,000 spectators watched the first match of the first British women's football team "British Ladies". The players wore hats and skirts over knickerbockers. Quite distinctive, actually.

The women's footballers are no longer on the sidelines. The Swiss women's national football team was founded in 1972, and there has been a Women's World Cup since 1991. The ladies have also emancipated themselves and enjoy watching their female counterparts kick the ball around. Whereas just a few years ago (weeks) ago they were ridiculed or declared to be fighting lances, it is now suddenly considered good form to watch women's football.

Quota kick by senior citizens

However, it is neither the footballers nor their spectators who are causing any surprises in connection with the Women's World Cup. Sooner or later, women have always gotten what they wanted, no matter how much resistance men put up: wear pants, smoke, cut their hair short, go to work, drink beer, don't have children. And also play football.

This time, the men of creation are astonishing: an analysis by Media Control shows that more than half of those watching the Women's World Cup are men. For the match between the German women and the Canadians, the figure was 8.2 million. Men. Older men aged 65 and over were particularly taken with the female footballers: the market share in this viewer group was over 79%. Wow! Have the old-timers misplaced their TV glasses and not even noticed that it's people with two X chromosomes who are playing here? Are they sitting in front of the box thinking: "Oh, that could be my Erika!"? Or do they appreciate watching a football match without the players spitting on the pitch? It's probably the fascination with the strange that comes through here. A bit like 1895: "Ladies playing football? I have to see that!" After all, women also watch when the television shows a report about men shopping.

Young kicks well

However, younger men are also succumbing to the magic of female footballers, although by virtue of their later birth they should already be used to a lot from the ladies' world. According to well-informed sources, there are even guys who post the results of the Women's World Cup in the coffee kitchens of large companies full of engineers. And not secretly before starting work, but during the coffee rush hour, signed with their name. To be honest, men like that give me the creeps.

Perhaps the appeal of the Women's World Cup comes from the players' outfits. True to the motto: "If you look sharp, you shoot sharper." Nike is currently using this slogan not only to promote its sportswear, but also the female footballers. As the campaign's testimonial, German international footballer Fatmire Bajramaj looks into the camera, grim-faced and with red-painted claws. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. The beauty becomes a beast. Men love that, of course.

Ballaballa? No, because women's soccer works. Firstly, from a footballing point of view: because the ladies don't kick so badly. Although the female kick on the ball is less booming than the men's, female footballers still win more games. Maybe the Swiss national team could take a look ... ouch, I didn't say anything. Secondly, in terms of advertising: the sponsors of the Women's World Cup can be happy. Because 40 percent of World Cup viewers remember the supporters of the footballers. An impressive rate.

My thesis: The magic of the ball eleven(s) simply has to do with the fact that men like to see women in action - preferably from the sofa with a beer in their hand: cleaning, cooking or playing football.