Chelsea female boss, Hayes, hails historic Barclays sponsorship deal

(Reuters) – Chelsea Women's boss Emma Hayes called the Barclays sponsorship deal with the Women's Super League (WSL) a "watershed," saying it offered the Football Association (FA) an ideal platform for selling broadcast rights to the competition.

The FA said it was the biggest investment ever made by a brand in British women's sports, the BBC reporting that it was worth more than 10 million pounds over three years until 2022.

"I've been saying for some time that I thought it would be a decisive moment to market the game," Hayes told BBC Sport. "Someone like Barclays has to say," I'll be first. "

"Interest is growing. It's a snowball effect and I do not see anyone standing in the way of England becoming the best place in the world to play.

"The next big moment is to find a broadcast platform, putting the game in a position where it has a regularity, a time slot and the best visibility. This must be the next big priority of the national game. "

Hayes, whose Chelsea team has won double the championship and double national last year, believes that this investment is a new proof of the growing profile of the WSL.

"Tell me a league in women's sport that can attract a sponsor like Barclays? It's an absolutely brilliant new, "she added.

"It will be the best league in the world, if it's not already done. It will be an incredible league in a few years. "

Kelly Simmons, director of women's football at the FA, said the sponsorship deal would make the top female level less dependent on the financial support of the men's teams.

"We can help make women's sport more sustainable and partners like Barclays can make sure the game generates enough revenue to be professional and does not depend on money from male football clubs," Simmons told Sky. Sports.

"I think in the years to come, it's really important to educate and build the loyalty of fans of viewers and viewers."