Global football union finds fragmented growth in women's game

Lori Ewing - Reuters - 17/12
The growth of women's football has created a worrisome gulf in the sport, with some players stretched by their increasingly packed calendars but many others with too few games, a report by global players' union FIFPRO said.
MANCHESTER, England, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The growth of women's football has created a worrisome gulf in the sport, with some players stretched by their increasingly packed calendars but many others with too few games, a report by global players' union FIFPRO said.
The study compiled with Football Benchmark showed some players had 60-plus games last season, while others played less than 10, largely due to new or expanded competitions in Europe and North America with little or no development elsewhere.
While FIFPRO's study of 300 players found that Mariona Caldentey played the highest number with 64 games for FC Barcelona and Spain, the average was 33 games, which even with season breaks is significantly less than a game a week.
"There is a two-speed development of women's football," said Dr. Alex Culvin, FIFPRO's Director of Policy and Strategic Relations for Women's Football.
"You've got this percentage of players who'll be t...
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