FIFA president calls for skimpy uniforms ( 2004-01-17 09:06) (Agencies)
Here's a fashion tip sure to make female soccer players uncomfortable: The
sport's chief suggests they slip into something a little tighter on the field.
The United States'
Brandi Chastain celebrates after kicking the game-winning goal against
China during the 1999 Women's World Cup final.
[AP]
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said women
should consider wearing more revealing uniforms, such as skimpier shorts, to
bring more attention to the game. At least one top player called the advice
"ridiculous" and "irresponsible."
Blatter said women's soccer needs different sponsors from the men's game and
should try to attract fashion and cosmetics companies by featuring "more
feminine uniforms."
"Tighter shorts, for example," Blatter told the Swiss newspaper
SonntagsBlick. "In volleyball the women also wear other uniforms than the men.
Pretty women are playing football today. Excuse me for saying that."
Brandi Chastain created the signature moment at the 1999 Women's World Cup
when she removed her shirt to reveal a sports bra, celebrating her winning kick
in the U.S. victory over China in the title game.
She said Blatter should direct his energy to develop the game.
"Anyone who thinks that a uniform will draw people to the game is severely
off base," Chastain said. "The game of football itself is what brings people to
the stadium, not what the players are wearing. He should continue to focus on
the development of the women's game rather than trying to sexualize it."
Julie Foudy, co-captain of the U.S. national team, suggested other ways
Blatter could improve women's soccer.
"Instead of talking about tight shorts, FIFA should be focusing on increasing
its support for the women's game by instituting another world championship for
youth women, pushing federations around the world to support their women's
programs, or giving prize money to teams in the Women's World Cup," she said.
"We'll start wearing tighter shorts when he starts doing press conferences in
his bathing suit."
The suggestion by Blatter raises an issue that has confronted women's sports
— particularly tennis and golf — for some time. Do the players need to draw on
their sex appeal to make their game more appealing to a mostly male audience, or
should their athletic achievements stand on their own?
England goalkeeper Pauline Cope called Blatter's advice "typical of a bloke."
"To say we should play football in hot pants is plain ridiculous," she said.
"It's completely irresponsible for a man in a powerful position to make comments
like this."
FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said Friday that Blatter never mentioned the
word "hot pants."
"The remarks were by no means meant to be offensive — not at all," Herren
said. "Whatever he said, it was more a general remark, 'Let's take a look at
that.' But it's not the ultimate recipe to salvage the women's game because he
went on to say women's football has established itself and it has a future."
Swiss captain Evelyn Zimmermann and Norwegian players Lise Klaveness and
Solveig Gulbrandsen also spurned Blatter's fashion tip.
"You can't compare us with volleyball players and, apart from everything
else, those shorts are uncomfortable," Zimmermann said.
Klaveness said soccer is about sport, not sex.
"If the crowd only wants to come and watch models then they should go and buy
a copy of Playboy," she said.
Added Gulbrandsen: "If I wanted to wear a bikini, I would have chosen to play
beach volleyball."
Marianne Spacey, manager of the London team Fulham Ladies, said Blatter's
comments should be taken seriously because of his position, but some of her
players were amused.
"It does surprise me because people might actually listen because he's such a
powerful person in the game of football," Spacey said. "For people in the
women's game, it's caused uproar and it provided a few chuckles in training,
that's for sure."
