Women’s soccer should promote ”lovely looking” players to attract more sponsors, according to Uefa president Lennart Johansson.
The 75-year-old Swede, the head of European soccer’s governing body, is in England to watch the European women’s championship.
Germany plays Norway in Sunday’s final in Blackburn.
After a dig at Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s comments last year on women wearing ”tighter shorts,” Johansson said women should focus on other ways to gain sponsors.
”Of course, when it comes to dress there is nothing wrong if the dresses [uniforms] are nice,” Johansson told BBC radio. ”I mean, [they] must not be what he [Blatter] recommended, but colourwise … [so] that you can see that they’re ladies.
”And then I think they should turn to the sponsors … producing articles used by ladies. There are so many companies that can make use of the fact that, if you see a girl playing on the ground, sweaty, with the rainy weather and coming out of the dressing room, lovely looking, that would sell.”
On Thursday night, Norwegian player Solveig Gulbrandsen celebrated a goal by pulling her shirt over her head to reveal a black sports bra, earning a yellow card. Norway won 3-2 in extra time.
In 2004, Blatter, the head of world soccer’s governing body, called for ”tighter shorts” for women.
”Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball,” Blatter said.
Johansson criticised Blatter’s remarks.
”Some people are only happy if they have something being published about them every day in the newspapers,” Johansson said.
”I hope you understand that I take it as a joke, and not a very clever one. I think it was meant as a sort of a joke. I don’t think he would repeat this.” ‒Sapa-AP