Real Madrid to launch women's team for 2019-2020 season
After enduring criticism over their lack of a women’s team, it appears Real Madrid will officially launch one in time for the 2019-2020 campaign.
According to El Mundo, Los Blancos reached an agreement with newly promoted local side CD Tacón to purchase their place in Liga Femenina Iberdrola, the Spanish women’s top flight, for almost $342,000. The newly renamed team, Real Madrid Women, is scheduled to be announced by club president Florentino Perez before the end of the month.
They will join Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Espanyol, Levante, Real Betis, Athletic Bilbao, Levante, FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, in the league from September 2019 onward.
This news bodes well for women’s soccer in general, which is steadily gaining popularity thanks to this year’s Women’s World Cup. Spanish FA general secretary Andreu Camps announced this week, according to 90Min, that women’s soccer will receive at least 20 million euros in investment this upcoming season and every match featuring top flight sides will either air live on television or stream online. At least three second division matches will air, too.
Real Madrid’s rivals, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, have dominated women’s soccer in Spain for several years now. Atleti has won the last three league titles, while Barcelona has been runners-up the last four years and reached the Women’s Champions League final this past season.
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