REAL MADRID HAVE decided to launch their own women’s team, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed.
Real Madrid have agreed to buy CD Tacon, a Madrid-based team promoted to Liga Iberdrola — the domestic women’s top-flight — at the end of last season.
Spanish news outlet El Mundo reports that Madrid president Florentino Perez has sanctioned a deal worth around €500,000 for Tacon’s licence to be transferred to Real, with the re-branded team to take up their place in the league next season.
Confirming the arrangement, Rafael del Amo, president of the RFEF Women’s Soccer Committee, told Efe: “The Federation has had something to do, we thought it was very important that the best national teams have a female team.
I always jokingly told my Real Madrid friends that they would not be great without a female team. I can say they are great.
The arrangement apparently only covers the first team, with a decision on an academy dependent on development. The women’s team will train and play at Real’s Ciudad Real Madrid complex in Valdebebas.
Tacon were founded in 2014 by the management company of ex-player Ana Rossell, AR10, with the idea of ultimately becoming part of the fold at Real once they had reached the top level.
Real now shed their tag as one of elite European soccer’s last clubs without a women’s team, with the Tacón acquisition allowing the club to invest in an existing side.
Barcelona, are the top-spending club in the Spanish women’s top-flight, spending close to €4 million a year, but most club’s operate on a budget closer to €500,000.
The news comes shortly after the RFEF announced that next season there will be about €20 million allocated for women’s soccer, of which €6.5 million will go to the national team and the rest to club competitions.
Of the club allocation, the national soccer body will only contribute roughly seven per cent, according to Palco23, while the rest will come from commercial rights.
Last season’s Primera Division was dominated by Atletico Madrid and Barcelona as both teams completed the campaign more than 30 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Levante.
Meanwhile, Barcelona won their second straight Copa de la Reina and reached the final of the Champions League, where they were beaten by Lyon.
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That’s nothing, shamrock rovers and Lucan are way ahead of them
I can’t wait to not watch them.
@De Zach Same: congratulations. You’re family must be very proud.
@Brendan Heery: your
@De Zach Same: if you can’t see the growth potential from a marketing, sponsorship, and participation level and the potential net-new revenues that will almost certainly be accrued from Women’s football, then that’s all that needs to be said on that matter.
Typical Real Madrid! Making history from scratch… Again
@Dónal MacAonghusa: they’ve been pretty much given no option but to have a team . They looked at this several times and never showed any enthusiasm . Adidas ‘persuaded’ them as part of the new deal 120M€ /year … when you think of all the sports wear that women wear that can now have that logo the possibilities are endless . On top of that the Atletico Madrid women’s team has caught the imagination and have had League games played in the Wanda with superb attendances . It’s all part of a big push to support women in sport going on in Spain . But in this case Real Madrid are being pushed it’s fair to say .
Hop on board the Real Madrid Bandwagon… there’s Gold in them there Women’s World Cup hills….