Women's football came to stay last year in El Poble Nou de Benitatxell. Many of the girls who played on mixed teams at the municipal school asked for a women's team so they could play with their peers beyond the age of 13, which is the maximum age allowed by the Valencian Federation. Then the City Council and the municipal school decided to bet on them and create a women's team. We spoke with some of the components, their coach, Gabriela Colomer, and the school coordinator, Celso Alcázar.
The women's soccer team was officially formed last year, but you had been thinking about this project for a while.
The girls we had playing on mixed teams were already asking us to play alone. We started conversations with girls because they wanted to separate themselves from the boys, to play independently on their own, and then we started to create some WhatsApp groups and spread it in schools, extracurricular classes, etc. At first we recruited about 8 or 9 girls, and that was when we started the team. We managed to finish the season with 21 girls.
Have you encountered any obstacles or impediments?
We are a small town, and it is very difficult to find a group of girls of the same age to play in the same category. Yes, it is true that we have quite a few girls, but of very different ages. And to play in a league they must all be a maximum of one year apart.
What is the current situation of the team?
Last year we were going to play in the local Acydma league. We were five teams: Pedreguer, Ondara, Oliva, Benissa and El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, but two of them backed out. Right now we cannot federate the team because the girls are from different categories, and the local league has not been created either because a league with only three teams does not make sense. For now, this season we are going to hold one or two friendly matches a month with the remaining teams, and even with other federations like Benissa.
What is your greatest aspiration in football?
Play for Atlético de Madrid; play on a big team.
On a more general level, why do you think that women's football has traditionally had so little support in Spain?
Maybe we don't have the habit of signing girls up for soccer. Many children have been telling their father or mother to sign them up since June. They go crazy to play. On the other hand, we girls are in the process of encouraging ourselves and asking to be pointed at.
Personally (Gabriela Colomer), I have seen the evolution of women's football. When I started I was alone, there were no other girls. It was me against all my friends. I was lucky and they welcomed me well. I played in Benitatxell up to the maximum that was allowed, Children's. At that time, almost 15 years ago, neither the school coordination nor the City Council even considered the possibility of creating a women's team. That was unthinkable, the closest thing was Dénia and then Benidorm.
Later, when I couldn't play with the boys anymore, I went to Teulada, but I had to switch to indoor soccer because there weren't enough girls for soccer. Later, I went to Benissa, which was a more consolidated team. We have been fighting to stay for a few years now. We play in the Valenta League, in the First Regional, but from Marina Alta, apart from Benissa, there is only El Verger, which has now been disbanded and has moved to Ondara. That's it.
Could it also be due to a lack of visibility in the mainstream media?
Women's football is recent. The Spanish federation has only created women's leagues for four years. There are, but they are not seen, they are not televised. The World Cup has been seen and thank you.
On the other hand, men's football has a longer tradition and history. There will come a time when women's football becomes equal, when there is a very large volume of girls and boys who want to play and there are, above all, teams that they can sign up for in order to create more leagues.
Now all the media are talking about women's football. In part, and unfortunately, because of the kiss controversy and not because of what is really important, which is his victory in the World Cup. But, at the end of the day, women's football is being talked about on all channels and in prime time, something that was unthinkable a few years ago. And that's what it takes to give it one more boost. The little ones see it when they get on social networks, on Tik Tok or Instagram, and it is something very positive, because they have references.
What do you think of what happened with the kiss controversy at the World Cup?
It's wrong, but we should talk more about the World Cup than about that.
How important is it to have references?
When I was 10 years old I didn't have any female reference. Girls, if they don't see that there are other girls who play soccer, it's difficult for them to want to play. The team's victory in the women's world cup will mark a before and after for the girls.
What are your references?
I watch men's soccer, but I started watching the women's World Cup. We like Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí…
Has there been progress in recent years?
From the administrative side (Celso Alcázar) I see that more and more facilities are being generated. Women's football is very recent. I think that in three or four years it will reach a very high level of popularity. It may not be equated with the male team, because the social mass is larger and has many more years of tradition behind it, but I think I won't have to be worried because we only have five girls to form a team. I hope to see the time come when I have to tell the fathers and mothers that I have no space.
We, Benissa and all the towns that are promoting women's football from municipal schools, hope for that. I don't want to throw flowers at us, but that El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, which is a municipality of just over 4,000 inhabitants, has a women's team and bets on it, and other larger municipalities such as Teulada, with almost 12,000 inhabitants; or Xàbia, with more than 28,000, don't have… it speaks quite well about our municipality and its City Council.
What are the future plans for women's football in El Poble Nou de Benitatxell?
The idea is to create two or three women's teams in different categories: Children's, Cadet and Alevín, perhaps. That they can play with girls and, also, of the same age. Right now, the problem is only one of the number of people. There is no other. Will and desire are not lacking. So we encourage all girls, both from Benitatxell and neighboring towns, to join. Let them come and ask. Let them try training with us.
Gabriela: as a player and native of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell, what does it mean for you to coach the first women's team in your town?
I started on this field, which was still dirt, playing with boys. After my career, having to go abroad to be able to continue playing, it is a source of pride for me and I am very happy that girls today are given this opportunity. I think it is very important that the municipality has been a pioneer in betting on women's football and I am very grateful that they have thought of me for this challenge. I am delighted to direct them and I hope to do the best I can. Together, we will make women's football grow in the healthiest and most sporting way possible.