Shorts not a requirement for women: Eng FA

The statement comes after a Muslim player was barred from match

BENGALURU:

England's Football Association (FA) said women players across its competitions are allowed to wear clothing that follows their religious beliefs after former Somalia captain Iqra Ismail was prevented from playing a match for not wearing shorts.

Ismail, who is also a coach, said in an Instagram video that she had been playing in the Greater London Women's Football League (GLWFL) for five years wearing tracksuit bottoms but on Sunday she was not allowed to come on as a substitute for United Dragons.

"The Middlesex FA referee for yesterday's game said that the league had told him strictly not to allow women like me to wear tracksuit bottoms... if it matches our kit or not," Ismail, a Muslim, said. "If we do not wear shorts, we cannot play. That is what I was told yesterday."

The FA said that they were aware of the matter and were in contact with the Middlesex FA to ensure it is quickly resolved.

"We proactively wrote to all county FAs and match officials across the women's grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised," a spokesperson from the FA said on Wednesday.

The Middlesex FA said they were in contact with the FA and the league to resolve the matter.

"Guidance from the FA was issued to all County FAs and match officials across the women's grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised," a spokesperson said. "We are working with all our stakeholders to ensure they can apply this guidance effectively and remain deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody."

The GLWFL said in a statement it was their understanding that players were required to wear shorts on top of clothing that covered their legs. "However, we have since been made aware that shorts on top of tracksuits or tights are not required... we will be providing this updated guidance to all our match officials and members," the league wrote on X.

UEFA pledges 1 billion euros to develop women's football

UEFA will commit 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) of competition revenue and investment to develop women's soccer in the continent over the next six years, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.

The commitment is a part of UEFA's new strategy to grow the women's game, with money going to clubs, national teams, senior and youth competitions with the goal to have 5000 professional players and six professional leagues in Europe by 2030. "European women's football has never been in a better place," UEFA's managing director of women's football Nadine Kessler said in a statement. "(It) has become a sport for the masses, attracting an ever-growing and diverse fan base, and partners that wholeheartedly contribute to its growth."

The women's game has enjoyed significant growth in revenue and interest in recent years, with the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand generating more than $570 million.

The Women's Super League in England also generated record revenue in 2022-23, with more than a million people attending matches in the country's top two divisions in 2023-24. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said that the new six-year strategy, dubbed 'Unstoppable', would lay the groundwork to unlock the full potential of women's soccer.

"Our dedication to the cause remains as strong as ever. Our mission is simple - to help women's football gain a prominent place in the European sporting community," he added.