«Sie bringed eus wiiter» (They move us forward) aims to contribute to a positive development of women in sports.
On International Women's Day, Grasshopper Club Zurich would like to shine the light on women in the club who inspire and push us forward every day. The club would like to share their stories and celebrate how their dedication and passion is moving this inclusive sport forward. In addition, they will be given this platform to speak out about the current situation in sports and especially in football.
At the start of the 2021/22 season, Luna moved to Zurich. Since the current season, she has been the captain of the GC women. The central defender is thus the extended arm of head coach Anne Pochert. The 22-year-old Zurich native was considered a talented player early on and made 30 appearances for the Swiss national under-16 and under-19 teams. In the current season, Luna played 11 games and scored two goals and one assist.
Luna on her goals in football:
Winning a title with GC is at the top of the list, it definitely won't be easy but nothing is impossible. Another goal is to be able to play for the national team one day. Playing for my own country has always been a dream of mine. Playing abroad and being able to make a living out of football is very appealing to me, but I think at the moment it's still a bit too early for that."
Luna on her wishes for International Women's Day
Pink for girls and blue for boys is old school. My wish is that we as a society move away from old-fashioned role models and work all the harder for equality. Regardless of gender, everyone should have the same rights. All forms of prejudice and discrimination against women based on gender should have no place in this world."
Evelyne has been working for the record champion since 2003. She started as the head of physiotherapy and helped to set up and develop the newly built GC/Campus. But Evelyne quickly proved to be an all-rounder, so she dealt with insurance issues, relieved the physios by preparing the invoices, worked with the accounting department and thus increasingly took over tasks in the administrative area. For the 2014/15 season Evelyne made the definitive switch to finance and since then she has been working in Payroll. Among other things, she trained as a social insurance specialist at the age of 58. Evelyne has now been working for Grasshopper Club Zurich for 20 years and it is hard to imagine the GC office without her.
Evelyne on the current situation in sports:
Both in Switzerland and abroad, women in leadership positions in the football business are rare. It is to be hoped that something will happen here. Unfortunately, the majority of women take on preparatory work, but at the end of a "business transaction" they have absolutely no decision-making power. My experience shows me that women often have far too little confidence in themselves and have trouble asserting themselves, even if the potential is there. The soccer business is still a male domain. What's still very important to me is that social, technical and leadership skills should be the decisive factor - and not the gender."
Evelyne on the future:
The development of women in leadership positions will continue for a longer time, because unfortunately too few women are represented here. Women need more self-confidence in combination with the necessary professional competence. For the future, I would like to see cooperation and mutual respect for each other's qualities. Acceptance from both genders is essential."
As general manager, Lara Dickenmann is one of the key figures in GC women's football. The 37-year-old manages the business and, in her role, also acts as a link between the finance, communications, medical, sponsorship and sports departments. As a player, Lara played 135 caps for the Swiss women's national team, the second most matches played. In addition, she played 81 games for VfL Wolfsburg and 116 games for Olympique Lyon. Besides several championship and cup titles, Lara won the UEFA Women's Champions League twice in a row with Lyon, scoring the 2-0 in the 2011 final. No Swiss football player has been named the best Swiss football player more times than Lara (8 awards).
Lara on what she is proud of:
I am proud to have made my contribution to the development in Swiss women's football as a pioneer as a professional abroad. I'm also proud that today I'm the person I've always wanted to be. And I wish that for every person and every woman."
Lara on how she sees the development in recent years on the topic of "women in sports":
The development has been positive in recent years, yet there is still a long way to go. Especially regarding the media presence and the situation for girls compared to boys, there is still a lot of potential. One of the reasons for this is the decision-making positions in sports, where women are underrepresented. We have to change that, because my experience as an athlete and as a general manager shows me that women, in the sporting field or at the office, always have a positive impact on the club as a whole."
Serena Forgione has been working at Grasshopper Club Zurich office as Responsible Ticketing since 2019. The 29-year-old started her professional career at FC Aarau before taking over the management of the office at her home club, FC Wohlen, for more than 4 years. With the experience she gained, Serena then moved to Zurich. Today, she can be found at every home game of Grasshopper Club Zurich and ensures an organized process in the stadium and in the hospitality area. In addition, as a trainer, she looks after the young apprentices at Grasshopper Club Zurich. In her free time, Serena also volunteers on the board of the 1st division club FC Muri.
Serena on her wishes for International Women's Day:
For International Women's Day, I wish that there would be no more difference between the sexes. Together, instead of against each other!"
Serena's advice to women in sports:
Have the courage to do what makes you happy, even if someone stands up to you or it's not what's expected. If you are patient, work hard and show passion, you will be rewarded."
Since the current season, Laura has served as an assistant coach for the GC U16s. Before that, Laura was a long-time player for the GC women. She played for the blue and white team for nine years, becoming a veteran and most recently captaining the team. In addition to her coaching duties, the Zurich native works a 70% job in Bern as a sports scientist.
Laura, on what she's proud of:
It is a privilege to be able to work in a professional environment of junior top-level football right after my career as a footballer and to gain experience as a coach. Working with the players, but also within the staff, gives me great pleasure. I want to do my part to make it normal for women to find jobs in men's soccer as well and show that it's not the gender that matters, but the quality of the people."
Laura's advice to women in sports:
The level of performance of women in sports has risen significantly in recent years due to increasing professionalization. I would like to see us continue this development and that there are more and more women who accept this challenge and are prepared to invest a lot in it. We need female role models at all levels on which the younger generation can orient themselves."
On International Women's Day, we not only take a look at today's strong women at Grasshopper Club Zürich, but also look back in time and show that the club was already shaped by women in the past. Adelina Haegler-Rütschi had a major influence on the club's identity, which has lasted until today. Around 1916, the Zurich woman designed the ever-present GC logo in its orderly and straightforward form. The logo still exists today, in a slightly modified form, characterizes the club accordingly and is impossible to imagine without it.