National football goalkeeper Almuth Schult has once again criticised FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the smouldering dispute over the TV rights allocation for the Women's World Cup. "The worst and most immoral thing for me is to start the process at such short notice. I can't understand Infantino's moral sermons about respect, because that's disrespectful and not commensurate with the value that this sport has," Schult said on Bavarian television's Blickpunkt Sport.
FIFA, the world's governing body, has "started a process to sell TV rights, six and a half months before the tournament. That's clearly too late," complained the 32-year-old.
"Value of the numbers somewhat unequal"
A good two months before the start of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, the broadcasting rights in Germany are still open. "If you believe the rumours that it's five million euros and compare that with the 200 million that were recently paid together for the men's and women's World Cups, then the value of the numbers is also somewhat unequal," Schult continued.
According to information from the F.A.Z., ARD and ZDF are offering FIFA the five million euros mentioned by Schult. Infantino is demanding ten million euros from Germany.
The TV expert also has a clear opinion on equal pay. "Why should we earn millions?" she asked: "We're happy if every player earns professionally, in the sense that she doesn't have to go to work on the side. So far, this has only been the case with two, a maximum of three clubs in the first division."
Schult sees the development of the Bundesliga as positive. "The European Championships have clearly made a difference, if you look at the number of spectators." She hopes "that it will stay that way in the long term".
The title race is decided for Schult after the 0:4 of her former club VfL Wolfsburg at Eintracht Frankfurt in favor of FC Bayern. "This must now inevitably be the championship for Bayern," she said. After three defeats in the second half of the season, VfL "didn't deserve it either".