This Day in History: 2023-05-22

Nr. 460

ITALIAN WOMEN TAKE THE LEAD (1970)

Enlightened authorities in Italy were the first to sanction women being paid to play football and it was a major landmark for the women’s game when female part-time professionals were allowed. Women’s football had been played for a long time, with records of matches in Scotland in 1892 and England in 1895, and although it was frowned upon by football associations in many countries it continued without their support. However, despite the Italian breakthrough, progress was slow for women in soccer and the USA only formed a full-time national squad in 1984, with Japan the first country to have a professional women’s league in 1992.

Women’s football has a long history in many countries but Italy was the first to allow professionalism – albeit in a part-time fashion.