{"id":26907,"date":"2020-11-26T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/?p=26907"},"modified":"2020-11-25T22:23:30","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T22:23:30","slug":"aston-villa-captain-marisa-ewers-lives-between-books-and-football-boots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/aston-villa-captain-marisa-ewers-lives-between-books-and-football-boots\/","title":{"rendered":"Aston Villa captain Marisa Ewers lives between books and football boots"},"content":{"rendered":"

In summer 2012, a 29-year-old Dutch midfielder joined his old love Hamburger SV from Tottenham Hotspur for over 13 million Euros. While Rafael van der Vaart earned millions, HSV women’s player Marisa Ewers had to leave the club.<\/p>\n

Hamburg’s most famous football club needed to save money and could not afford a women\u2019s football team in the Bundesliga anymore. A highly questionable decision \u2013 to phrase it politely.<\/p>\n

Ewers, who was born in Hamburg, then joined the women\u2019s team of Bayer Leverkusen. But it was not just the new opportunity that drove the 23-year-old.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to do something as well as playing football to have an easier start at my post-football career. You never know when your football days are over,\u201d Ewers explains.<\/p>\n

She started an undergraduate programme at the nearby renowned German Sports University Cologne. \u201cWe trained early in the morning and in the evening. It was a perfect opportunity for the players to study or work at the same time,\u201d says Ewers.<\/p>\n

Being a professional footballer while studying in your free time, this rarely happens at men\u2019s teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone expects more from the men and they get more money. As a player, I would not be surprised if my club would not allow me to study. But studies and qualifications are important, even when it is just a coaching license. But a lot of the guys do not think about anything besides football,\u201d Ewers says.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ewers: “The professionalism of the WSL impressed me.” \u00a9Aston Villa Women<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After finishing her BA in Sport Management and Communication, the midfielder took a small study break. But Ewers would not be Ewers if she did not aim for a new target.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to try something new after nine years of playing in the Bundesliga. The professionalism of the WSL impressed me,\u201d explains the German midfielder. Ewers got her WSL move in 2016, when she joined Birmingham City.<\/p>\n

More and more international players are joining British teams these days. Especially United States women\u2019s national soccer team stars like Alex Morgan or Tobin Heath<\/a>, who are bringing the WSL to another level. Ewers is delighted by the growth of the league.<\/p>\n

She says, \u201cThe Americans represent a big opportunity for the league. WSL games started to get broadcast in the US and Germany and we get more sponsors. Even the men\u2019s stadiums start getting opened for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
“Even the men’s stadiums start getting opend for us.” \u00a9Aston Villa Women<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But growing publicity does not mean that female footballers get better treatment in every aspect. Especially in COVID times, the FA sometimes appears to apply inconsistent standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe female U-21 academy teams, our foundation, had to stop playing. But the men are allowed to play, even the U-9 academy players. The 2nd<\/sup> team is a big support for us, especially with COVID,\u201d says Ewers. Female and male football teams rely on their 2nd<\/sup> teams when players of the first squad get injured or test positive for COVID.<\/p>\n

Although the pressure on the FA to change this contentious decision is increasing, Ewers is not idly waiting for the FA to act. She has started studying a sports directorship masters. This is her second postgraduate degree programme, after she finished her MA in Sports Management and the Business of Football at Birkbeck, London, while still playing for Birmingham City.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a lot of commitment to study and to play professional football. But I told myself \u2018just go for it\u2019, you will be proud of yourself in the end. And a master\u2019s degree in English is really good for your CV,\u201d explains Ewers.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>